Take Root
by Honeydeau
Summary: Life has grown simple and predictable for Sonic and, to be honest, he doesn't completely mind it. He tries to keep busy. The routine is comforting at times, but he's definitely not angry when Shadow, whom he hasn't seen in years, abruptly destroys his mundane schedule with a mission that has him feeling young again.
1. Prologue

**Hello! Welcome to the new version Take Root. Many things have changed, so I've completely started over. Thanks for reading 3**

A gust of chilly October air flitted through the fragile brown leaves in the treetops, carefully removing them and letting them fall peacefully to the dirt. Silence. The kind where it's still upon first glance but has so many unnoticed sounds waiting for someone to stop and listen. Suddenly, a gust of blue dashed across the forest's sanctity, and as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Air split neatly, making room for the figure to zoom by and ruffle the leaves. A high hum resonated through the trees growing lower and lower until individual patters of shoe against leaves could be heard. And, with a screech, it stopped. The blue coat of the hedgehog rang out brilliantly against the soft autumn aesthetic that both warmed and chilled the Green Hill Zone. He bent over to fix the placement of the buckle that sat atop his brand-new friction boost shoes that his brother had made for him just that morning. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he inspected them.

They were quite similar to his old ones in style with a simple curve to the top and a gold buckle hung to the side, albeit loosely. He supposed that was the only flaw he could find in them that he would need to bring up to his brother. He wouldn't like to trip over a shoe buckle while traveling at Mach two.

A gloved hand reached up to click the small button on the communicator in his ear. "Tails? You there, bud?" He spoke, rubbing some dirt off his knee. The sound of static assaulted his left ear, causing his right one to lower instinctively.

"Yeah, Sonic, I'm here. Did you find anything?" Tails spoke softly over his own ear piece. He was all the way across the zone happily tinkering with some screws on his newest project. Sitting crisscross in the sand on the South beach, his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he wrenched them in firmly.

"Eh, well—..." Sonic mumbled, glancing in all directions and searching for any movement, "Nothing yet... Oh, hold on!"

Tails sat back on his heels as he listened to the clanging of metal and a slight tearing sound over the small speaker. "Sonic...?"

"Got it!" Sonic said and flipped the metal piece around in his hand, his foot placed on the stomach of the disassembled badnik he tore it from. "What is it called again?"

Tails snickered and stood, brushing sand from his fur. "It's just a gear, Sonic. Bring it back ASAP, I'm almost finished."

"No problem, bud, I'll be there in a jiffy," Sonic said and immediately sped back south towards the beach, his purple scarf flowing wildly behind him.

Tails stood back and admired his creation. It was a sonar repellent to keep away the Chopper that frequented the shallow waters. They'd been causing some trouble for beachgoers as of late, so Tails took it upon himself to develop a way to keep the dangerous robots away.

Tails' ears swiveled, picking up rustling in the trees nearby. He instantly tensed and stooped to a fighting stance, ready for action, but as soon as he caught sight of the vibrant blue of his older brother, a bright smile crept to his face. Sonic burst from the surrounding brush and skid to a stop in front of him, creating a wave of sand under his sneakers.

Tails chuckled. "Well, that was fast." He quickly dissolved into laughter when Sonic rose a brow and smirked at him from under his scarf. "How are the new shoes?'

"They're great, bud! The only complaint I have is that these buckles are a bit dangerous in the way they hang down. Not that I'm questioning your genius-y science mind. I just hope this isn't some grand scheme to destroy me or something."

Rolling his eyes, Tails turned and started packing up his tools. " Just leave them on my work bench when we get back and I'll fix it for you."

Sonic watched him for a moment, about to help, but then he remembered his earlier quest. "Oh, here's that gear you needed." He reached around and pulled the circular piece of metal out of his quills and tried to hand it to Tails.

Tails looked at it in confusion for a moment before his ears snapped up and he smiled nervously. "Oh, yeah." He grabbed the piece slowly from his brother's grasp. "Thanks, Sonic."

Sonic stared at the other with a deadpan expression and crossed his arms. "You don't actually need it do you?"

Tails looked down bashfully and shook his head.

Sonic huffed and threw his arms up in the air in a joking manner. "Why do I even do things for you!"

Tails laughed and picked up one last screwdriver. "You were getting restless. And whiney. I've been working on this all day, you know. There's only so many sighs and grunts I can ignore."

Sonic smothered a grin. "Hmph. If you want me outta your fur, just say so."

The wind picked up as the two set off towards home, spoon-feeding the two a large chill that ran down their spines to their toes. Tails zipped up his jacket and nuzzled into the fluffy fabric of the collar as Sonic rubbed his arms and tried to bury his nose into his scarf. Typically, he would've sped off home and left Tails to fly or walk on his own, as he liked to do more and more with his growing age, but The Fastest Thing Alive was feeling exceptionally chatty that day.

"Why do you think Egghead has been so quiet lately? It's been at least seven months since his last scheme. Think he's planning something big?" Sonic asked casually, kicking around a couple sticks.

Tails shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. He is a person, Sonic, people like to take breaks or vacations. Even super villains. It's not like he has a schedule or anything."

" I guess."

It used to feel like he did, back when Eggman was up and running with a new scheme at least once a month. Now the professor seemed to be falling off the evil boat with only one plan every five to six months. He was becoming less and less of a deal and Sonic honestly didn't know what to do with his free time most days. There were still badniks all over the place that attacked when they spotted him, but they were almost a normal part of life now.

Sonic glanced over at Tails who was walking happily next to him, smiling and staring at his feet as they crunched the dry leaves. Sonic smiled. Tails had grown up so much that he had a hard time looking at the kid without swelling with pride. He had everything going for him. A wonderful view on life, incredible skills that could rival the best in the world and a steady girlfriend to boot. Sonic tensed.

Tails noticed. "You okay, bro?"

Sonic shook his head, relaxing once again at the sound of his brother's deep voice. "I— uh—yeah, I'm fine. I just, um, how are things with Cream?"

A fog filled Tails' eyes as he practically swooned over the thought of his longtime girlfriend. He smiled. "You know... Going steady..."

Sonic nudged his brother in the ribs, earning a whine and a laugh from him.

Tails' giggling faded away slowly before he looked down to his shoes. "Sonic...?"

Sonic looked at him curiously, stepping over a tree root. "Yeah, bud?"

His tails swished nervously. "I... — I think I'm gonna ask her to move in with me."

Sonic stared at him in shock, not really knowing how to respond. "Er, that's great, little bro!"

Tails' eyes lit up at his idol's approval, smiling as Sonic pat his back encouragingly.

"It's nice to see you grow up like this, ya know?" Sonic smiled, but his gaze was a bit forlorn.

"Really?"

Snow started to fall, softly landing on blue and orange fur alike.

Sonic watched them drift in the breeze. "Well, yeah, I mean... I've known you since you were a little kid and seeing you become so... —grown makes me..."

"Happy?"

"Yeah. And proud," he said softly.

Tails beamed at him in delight.

"Cream would probably have a heart attack if she saw me walk in in the middle of the night looking like death."

"Well," Tails mumbled. "Yeah, if she saw the conditions you show up in sometimes, she'd probably freak out." Cream was a very strong young woman, but there was only so much she could handle. A beaten and bleeding Sonic showing up three times a week would probably do a number on her sanity. "Just be careful, yeah? I'll make a secret entrance to your room." He winked.

Sonic laughed.

Settling was one thing he never really saw himself doing until he hit the thirty-year mark of his life, but even if he had that pull in the back of his head, he had no idea how to go about it. Unlike his brother, he was not as successful in the world of romance, which was honestly a bit frustrating.

Sally was the only girl he ever felt strongly enough to go through with that kind of stuff with, but he definitely wasn't ready for the serious relationship she wanted back then. To put it lightly, their breakup hadn't been the calmest ripple in the stream. Sometimes, even thirteen years after their breakup, his cheek still singed with pain from her stern palm.

Tails was very concerned for Sonic. He knew his recent involvement in trivial criminal matters was just a way for him to feel like he had a purpose. He had been trying to get Sonic to stop putting on his "nothing bothers me" façade, but it was a habit that was deeply embedded in how he functioned. It had become even more apparent after the Acorn Kingdom announced the engagement of Princess Sally and Monkey Khan. He said it doesn't bother him at all, but Tails knew better. His brother was alone and confused and he didn't know how to fix it.


	2. Chapter 1

Wooden boards creaked angrily as the weight of a full-grown hedgehog crept slowly across them. Small specks of dirt and dust clung to the fur of his knees and the fabric of his gloves as he crawled around a loveseat and peeked over the edge stealthily, spying his victim's little feet. He slowly snuck closer, hovering over the small child with a wide grin, but as soon as he was about to pounce, she turned abruptly and launched herself into his gut.

"I win!" She belted out as they tumbled to the ground, giggling as Sonic tickled her sides.

"Hey, no fair, Lara-Su, you cheated!" Sonic whined. "This isn't even that kind of game!"

He pulled her into a bear hug and nuzzled her cheek. She laughed and they continued to roll around on the floor, almost kicking a lamp.

"Whoa, whoa, guys, what the heck're you doin'?" Knuckles bellowed, walking down the stairs with Vanilla. They had been helping Cream move her belongings into her and Tails's room upstairs.

The wrestlers froze, Sonic on his stomach, face flat on the floor with Lara-Su on top of his head gnawing on his ear. Lara-Su's eyes slowly drifted to her father anxiously, blue ear falling from her mouth slowly, but still, Sonic kept his nose buried in the fuzzy carpet.

"I can't believe it! My own daughter, wrestling without her Pa."

Before Sonic even had time to process the situation, Knuckles had him caught in a headlock while Lara-Su continued to abuse his ear with her razor-sharp baby teeth. He squirmed in his friend's grasp, gasping and clutching at red furred arms.

"Gah! Uncle!" he yelled, choking on his laugh.

Vanilla stood to the side and watched with worry and amusement mixed into her eyes. It warmed her heart to see them all getting along so well, as things seemed to be quite tense between them (as usual between Sonic and Knuckles), but they were making quite a ruckus. Apparently enough to make Tails rush down to see what was going on.

He stood at the edge of the living room with crossed arms and a glare that could melt steel. Lara-Su noticed him first and snorted happily, hobbling over to him as the others continued to roughhouse. She stopped at his feet reaching up and clenching her little fingers rapidly. Tails smiled and scooped her up, but still continued to glare at the two who were now spreading loose quills across his rug. He set the girl on his hip and cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention.

Sonic immediately shot up from his seat on the side of Knuckle's head to the couch and smiled at Tails as if he hadn't just been trashing the living room. "Ah... What's up, bud? Get everything settled in?"

Knuckles wasn't as elegant in his recovery, only slightly turning to his side and propping his head up with his hand to look up at Tails from his spot on the floor.

Tails closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, trying to stop the smirk from rising to his lips. "Yeah, no thanks to you. Cream is just putting up some knickknacks."

The cushions sighed beneath Sonic as he flopped to them and propped his chin on the armrest. He gave Tails a small mock pout. "I was put on Lara duty, 'member?" Sonic's whole head moved up and down as he talked, his jaw lifting and dropping it as it moved.

Tails rolled his eyes and carried Lara-Su to the kitchen for lunch, but not before uttering a quiet but stern command to clean up.

Sonic groaned and looked at his partner in destruction. "You have to help."

"Whatever! They're your quills!"

"But you're the one who started it!" Sonic pointed an accusing finger at him.

Knuckles was about to argue back but was interrupted by the holes being burned into the back of his head all the way from the kitchen. He didn't dare turn and make eye contact. "Fine."

The sun shone gently in the East, lowering slowly and making sure to bathe every inch of the once blue sky in vibrant reds, oranges, and purples. A few specs of snow started to trickle down as everyone said their goodbyes for the day with food in their stomach and happiness in their hearts. Cream had come down from her decorating upstairs to make lunch with Tails and the whole evening had been filled with laughter and stories to make up for the lost time that they had instead used for working and personal matters. But now that it was time for everyone to part ways once more, Sonic's chest couldn't help but feel heavy.

The adults stood around the front door as Lara-Su waddled around in the snow with her oversized winter coat, nose wiggling and ears flicking away any crystals that decided to land on them. Sonic, who wasn't really involved in the last conversation of the night, squatted low and held his arms out.

"How 'bout a good-bye hug for Uncle Sonic, yeah?"

Lara-Su beamed at him and started bouncing her way over, giggling with a toothy smile that made Sonic's heart melt. She placed her little arms around his neck and squeezed with all her strength. Sonic laughed and did the same, only stopping when he heard the small breathless giggle.

Lara-Su kissed her uncle's nose. "I love you!"

"I love you, too, Lara."

Leaning against the front of the house while the others talked, Cream watched Sonic's loving exchange with his niece in awe. All the bad guy busting throughout his youth had gotten in the way of his instinct to start a family, making him blind to all the eligible mates that were flocking around him. Sure, he'd had a couple romances, but they never lasted. Sonic wasn't serious enough about his relationships and a girl definitely doesn't like to be led on. Especially the ones that he associated with.

That wasn't why Cream felt sorry for him, though. She felt sorry because she could see the ache in his eyes every time everyone hung out together. He was ready for something, maybe anything, to happen in his favor.

Knuckles stomped through the snow and scooped up his daughter. "Ready to go, bud? Mom should be getting home at any moment," he said, also muttering something about how the Master Emerald shouldn't be away from Angel Island for too long.

Knuckles tapped a pocket on his belt where he had the Emerald stored. After having it stolen and shattered so many times, Knuckles decided it would be better to shrink and carry it with him if he decided to leave the island. If he wasn't gone for more than five hours, Angel Island would stay put. He always made sure to whisper a couple facts about the Emerald to his daughter. She would inherit the responsibility one day and she needed to understand everything about it; it was good to start young.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "She has no idea what you're talking about, Red."

"I swear to Chaos, Sonic, comment on my parenting one more time," Knuckles growled.

Sonic held his hands up in a defensive way and backed up. He supposed that was the closest thing to a farewell he was going to get from Knuckles.

Cream walked up and placed a kiss upon Lara-Su's brow. "Thanks for helping out tonight, Knuckles. Tell Julie-Su I said hi and that I want to see her sometime soon, 'kay?" she said, patting his shoulder softly. He nodded.

Cream gave her last goodbyes to her mother along with a warm hug. Tails glanced up at the setting sun, fleetingly admiring the beautiful colors of the evening before he settled his eyes on his girlfriend.

Cream caught his eye and made a gesture towards Sonic with her chocolate gaze.

Tails' eyes widened and he gave a curt shake of his head. "I already had a talk with him," he mouthed, only slight wisps of air escaping his lips.

Cream glared at him, but he wouldn't budge. She sighed in defeat, the sound giving Tails the okay to go inside and let them talk. He leaned in and placed a thankful kiss upon her cheek before gently tapping the snow from his boots and going inside. The metal latched softly.

Cream took a deep inhale. "So, Sonic..."

Sonic jumped a little and turned to the rabbit, surprise evident on his face before it melted into a smug expression. He shuffled closer to Cream. "Yeah, I know, I'll try not to bother you guys." He made a grab for the door behind her, but she took Sonic's gloved hand in hers.

"Sonic, wait, you don't have to hide out—"

"I wouldn't want a third wheel if I had just moved in with my—"

"It's not— no— Sonic, you're not a wheel."

"Hey, I know when people want privacy and you guys deserve to have your own time without having to deal with me butting in and out randomly. I just want to give you guys a peaceful first night together." He set his hands on her shoulders reassuringly while she gazed at him with big, misty eyes. "Just think about it this way. I'll be staying out of your hair because I want to and not because you're making me. Does that sound better?"

Cream smiled for a fraction of a second before it dropped again. She wanted to argue and tell him to never stop being his nosy self, but she knew how Sonic was when he set his mind to something. "Just don't be a stranger, alright?"

Sonic laughed. "Jeez, Cream, you act like I'm going away forever. I'll just be in my room."

The cold winter air sifted through their fur lightly granting them a chill. Cream lowered her head and bit her lip before launching onto Sonic and latching her arms around his neck.

"Thank you for everything, Sonic. I'm sure it will be wonderful staying here with you two."

Sonic patted her back. "You're part of the family."

They both laughed for a moment.

Cream's ears twitched and she held his elbow firmly. "Can you make me a promise?"

"Eh, depends."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Rolling her eyes, Cream crossed her arms exasperatedly. "Sonic," she said with a drop of venom," I really need you to take me seriously for just a moment."

Snow crunched under his feet as he shuffled them. "Okay..." He waited for her to start speaking, but when she didn't, he looked up from the ground to see that she had been waiting for eye contact.

"I want you to find someone—"

"Oh, here we go again—"

She wagged a finger at him. " Ah, Ah! Let me finish." She cleared her throat. "I want you to find someone that you can relate with."

One of Sonic's ears drooped in a questioning fashion.

"You are lonely, Sonic, and I don't care how much you deny it. I know you don't like me telling you how you feel, but I find this to be quite an important, and pressing, issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later. You've chosen later for far too long now."

"Cream, I don't need another person to make me happy."

She gave him a sad, pleading gaze. "I realize that, Sonic, I really do, but I feel like... you're at that point in life where you could definitely use... someone to share a new adventure with. You know, someone that can ease the pressure I'm sure you've felt as a hero for all these years."

"Are you implying that I need to get laid?"

Cream turned in a small circle with her hands on her head. "Oh, for the love of Chaos! Whatever you want to call it, hedgehog, as long as you find someone that makes you happy! Please, just put yourself out there."

Sonic laughed at how worked up Cream was getting and pulled her into a light hug. She slumped over his shoulder, cheek mushing into the lean muscle, and hung her arms loosely around his waist. He stoked her ears softly.

"I promise I'll try."

"Thank you," she said softly before looking up at him. "And you know, you're the most exasperatingly fun person to talk to?"

Sonic winked. "Don't I know it?"

They shook the snow from their fur and walked into the warmth of the house. Tails was cuddled comfortably on the living room couch with a blanket and a book. He looked over the frame of his glasses and smiled as the two rubbed their arms and tried to chase the cold away.

"Get everything situated?"

The two looked at each other, silently speaking, before answering with a confident 'yes'. Sonic shook, vibrations running from the tip of his quilled head to his tail. He scurried to Tails and crawled under the blanket with him, shimmying beside his brother and laying his head on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around Tails' waist, enveloping him in a tight hug that wasn't the least bit warm.

"Chaos, you're freezing and wet! Sonic, stop!" Tails whined and tried to squirm away, but the hold on him was inescapable.

Sonic smirked and nuzzled his nose into the back of Tails' big orange ear, skewing his glasses slightly. "I can't say hello to my sweet baby bro?"

"Just go away."

"That's so rude. Isn't he rude, Cream?"

Cream giggled and sat in the recliner across from them. "So very rude."

Tails rolled his eyes and complained about how Sonic was creating damp spots on the couch. He pretended to be angry, but had a hard time keeping a smile from raising the corners of his lips.

Sonic laughed and pulled himself back off the couch. "Alright, lovebirds. I'll be upstairs if you need me. Try not to make too much noise," he said with a wink before climbing the stairs.

The last thing he heard from them was an embarrassed, synchronized groan of his name.


	3. Chapter 2

The sun peeked over the horizon, slowly bathing the world in its soft yellow glow. Despite the warm colors of the early morning sky, it was completely and utterly frigid. Not that that would stop Sonic from getting up for his morning run. As soon as he sensed that the sun was rising, he was out of bed. He was looking forward to a morning smoothie, but they were out of milk. He supposed his morning run would have to be to the grocery store.

Sonic dipped and curved, performing his pre-run stretches while huffing little clouds from his heated tongue to the cold morning air. His muscles stretched as he pressed on them, stinging slightly as he did his best to work the pain from his left knee.

To his aggravation, a couple months ago his knee had started to ache horribly. He had Tails examine it, but all he had to say was "You put too much strain on it. Stretch more. I'd be surprised if the other one doesn't start acting up soon, too", and he absolutely refused to wear a bulky brace. So, stretch he does.

Within a matter of minutes, Sonic was already at the supermarket. He browsed the aisles before picking up a gallon of milk and a box of donuts. His mouth was already watering for them as he jogged the streets and prepared for his run back to the house.

But before Sonic could even begin hyper speed, he was shoved harshly, causing him to fall into the street. The offender, a large ape with a burlap sack around his shoulder, stomped on his donuts and kept running. Instinct told him to give chase, but just as he pulled himself up to so, he heard a loud " Look out!" and a few tire screeches before the world was turned upside down in a matter of seconds. The ape kept running, shouting victoriously as he rounded a corner.

Sonic's body ached all over. Not to the point where he thought there were any broken bones, but he was cut and bruised. Groaning, he propped himself up on his elbows and rubbed his head. His vision was a bit fuzzy, but he was still able to spot a body, along with a motorcycle, laying a little distance away. The gallon of milk was punctured and leaking everywhere. He watched a puddle inch closer to his arm

"Man. I know I shouldn't cry over spilt milk, but honestly, this is pretty sad," he mumbled.

Sonic got to his feet and hissed at the pain in his knee, renewed and vicious thanks to his new acquaintance.

He limped forward. "What the hell, man? You coulda killed yourself! Or even worse, me!" The other man started to get up. "The least you could do is pay attention while riding on such a dangerous vehicle!" The dark figure stood at full height and brushed off some dirt from his black furred forearm, back to Sonic as the he continued to limp over. "Are you even listening to me? You can't just... ignore... me..." Sonic trailed off and stopped dead in his tracks when his vision cleared completely.

"Yes, I hear you. Just let me—" The culprit turned around, about to apologize, but stopped and also stood in mild shock. "Sonic?"

Sonic's ears flicked forward at the stern, familiar voice and he smiled, a bit of his sourness subdued after recognizing his old frenemy. "Aw, what the heck, Shads! Haven't seen ya in who knows how long and the first thing you do is run me over? I see time hasn't done much healing."

Shadow rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smirk that tugged on his cheeks. His eyes raked over Sonic, assessing any changes as this was the first time he'd seen him in person for years.

Sonic stood in front of Shadow rigidly. Shadow had grown, surprisingly. Instead of being shorter than him, like he originally expected him to be after all this time, he was the same height if the added inch of his disheveled quills was ignored. Sonic suddenly felt an abnormal flare of insecurity as he felt Shadow's sharp eyes sizing him up in the same way.

"Uh, yeah, as much as I'd love to stand around and stare at each other all day, weren't you in the middle of something?" Sonic said, picking a piece of dirt from the side of his head.

Shadow choked on a gasp. He scrambled to get his bike up on its wheels. Leg swung a leg around the seat, he revved up the engine. A quick glance and a nod to Sonic and he was off, leaving a large cloud in his wake.

Sonic stood there and considered for a moment why Shadow was chasing after a guy that looked like a simple purse-snatcher. He grew antsy as he considered going after him. On one hand, he'd probably get pulled into something big , and he had yet to finish his milk trip, but on the other... he didn't really have anything planned for the rest of the day... And it was still early. He knew he wouldn't stop thinking about it, anyway. A small chuckle fell from his lips.

Shadow rode around corners and ran lights, narrowly avoiding pedestrians as he searched for his target; the engine of Dark Rider purred beautifully in his ears, doing wonders to calm down his stressed, pounding heart. He searched frantically, examining every face on the streets for about a millisecond each. Finally, he spotted the ape down the street throwing his burlap bag into the back of a truck. He turned the throttle and his bike roared, ready to speed up, but a flash of blue next to him caught him off guard.

"Hey, Shads, need some help?"

Shadow yelped and glanced between the road and his new distraction rapidly. "Sonic! What the hell! Go away, dammit! I'm busy."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Well, duh. I'm offering to help you."

"I don't need your help, hedgehog!" He snapped before swerving to avoid hitting a car that pulled out in front of him.

Sonic jumped, clearing the vehicle. He landed roughly and gasped at the pain shooting from his knee. "Watch where you're going!"

"Well, it's kind of hard to when you're distracting me like this!"

"Okay, fine—"

Shadow shouted once again as Sonic jumped onto the bike and settled behind him on his knees while gripping his shoulders. He sighed. He knew Sonic well enough to know that there was no shaking him off at this point, so he may as well use the extra help while he could.

"Okay, whatever. You see that purple truck up the road?"

Sonic had to lean in and flick an ear towards Shadow's mouth to hear him. Once he processed the question, he looked down the street to see the exact truck the other was referring to. The vehicle was pulling away from the curve and speeding off, actually hitting an unsuspecting cockatoo and knocking him to the ground.

"Yeah, they just hit that poor guy! We have to help him!"

"We don't have time to stop and help!" Shadow growled.

Sonic knew Shadow was right, but he couldn't help glancing apologetically at the man as they zoomed by.

"Anyway, we need to get the sack that they threw in the back. Can you handle that?"

Sonic laughed. "Sure thing, Captain Stripes!"

Shadow mentally face palmed. Why did it have to be him that he hit? Out of all the people on Earth, why Sonic?

They were gaining on the truck rapidly, Shadow still swerving and weaving through cars expertly. The closer they got, the more charged and powerful Sonic felt. He let out a loud laugh and raised his hands into the air, loving the adrenaline rush.

Finally, they reared up on the car, right next to the bed of the truck. But right when Sonic reached over to grab the side of the vehicle, one of the criminals stuck their head out the window, face only three feet away. Sonic gasped at the glowing red of the gorilla's eyes as they seemed to burn right through him. They got brighter and brighter before suddenly, the eye contact was broken by Shadow yanking him back into his seat. The motorbike swerved left and went down a different street where it skidded to a stop. He felt like he was in a void. A deep, dark, unforgiving space of terror.

Shadow slid off to stand by him. He patted Sonic's cheeks harshly, catching him from falling deeper. Sonic shook his head, shedding the terrible feeling of impending doom along with a couple strands of fur.

"What the heck was that?" Sonic asked, the horror evident in his voice.

Shadow sighed. "Those guys aren't your typical criminals. They're highly intelligent sentient robots. All we know about them is that it's best not to look into their eyes. The last guy that stared a bit too long had their life force sucked right out of them. We believe they are creations of Dr. Robotnik. Obviously."

Sonic rose a brow and huffed. So Eggman was at it again? No surprise there. Now he understood why there was such a long hiatus this time around. These were top notch robots. "What's their motive?"

Shadow shrugged but pulled a burlap sack from his quills.

"You managed to grab it?"

Spiked quills bobbed as Shadow nodded. "While you were busy with the robot, I was able to quickly reach under you."

Sonic gazed at the other in awe and leaned forward. "What's in it?"

Shadow untied the string and pulled the sides open to show him. Sonic's face was illuminated by the dazzling glow of three powerful Emeralds. Apparently, that wasn't completely adrenaline that he was feeling.

"Chaos Emeralds!"


	4. Chapter 3

"So, what do we do now?" Sonic asked, still perched on the leather seat of Shadow's bike.

"We? I'm taking these to G.U.N. HQ for safe keeping. You? You're going home and keeping your mouth shut about all of this."

Sonic frowned and crossed his arms. "Hey, I think I should help out. I know the egg like the back of my glove."

Shadow grimaced. "What, like you 'helped out' back there by getting in my way and nearly causing a wreck? Nope. No way."

The rubber seat of Shadow's bike squeaked when Sonic slumped down in a pout and groaned. "Come on. I never have anything interesting to do."

Shadow's brow furrowed, and he looked off to the side in thought. "Why don't you get a job?"

He felt the burning glare from him. The look on Sonic's face voiced all the words that couldn't be said to describe how unfit it was for Sonic the Hedgehog to have a job other than saving the world. Without any real education or qualification, they both knew the only jobs that could possibly be in the hero's future would center around fast food or drug stores.

Shadow sighed. "Right…"

"Oh, come on, Shadow, cracking Eggman is my thing! You can't just let G.U.N. take it from me!" Sonic sat up, swung he legs around, and whipped out the best puppy dog face he could muster. "Please?"

It wasn't very effective. "Why are you even asking me? If he was really your thing, you'd be halfway to his lair by now."

Sonic sputtered dramatically. "Are you implying that I've lost my touch?"

Shadow fixed his cool eyes on him.

Sonic looked down at the asphalt of the side of the road. "I just thought... It might be fun to work as partners, ya know? You and me... bustin' bots and chasing bad guys... Like old times!"

"Like old times? Do you also want me to smash your face in and call you Faker?"

Sonic's face scrunched in distaste.

Shadow hesitated before speaking again. "Are you lonely?" His tone was almost sympathetic, but his face showed no indication of such emotion.

Sonic huffed at the heat he felt crawling to his face.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Shadow said.

This caught Sonic's attention and his eyes locked on Shadow's.

A chill city breeze sifted past them, throwing a shiver through their bodies.

"… I've missed you, Shads."

Shadow's eyes widened a bit, slightly caught off-guard. He tried to hide the heat of his own cheeks by pretending his nose itched.

Sonic smirked. "You don't have to be embarrassed."

That made Shadow want to walk up and push him off his bike, but the utter happiness and admiration on Sonic's face threw him for a loop. He cleared his throat, hoping to disperse the tight feeling in his chest.

"Anyway, if you're not going to let up on this then scoot back so I can get on. We need to report back to G.U.N. sooner rather than later."

Sonic scooted happily and pat the seat in front of him.

Shadow rose a brow at him and swung his leg over to situate himself between Sonic's legs. His heart jumped when Sonic wrapped his arms around his waist, but quickly shoved it down.

The ride to G.U.N. Headquarters wasn't short, and Sonic found himself slipping in and out of sleep while latched onto Shadow's back. The wind around them was frigid, so he took great comfort in the heat radiating off Shadow and pulled himself as close as possible. If Shadow minded, he didn't say anything.

After one of his longer dozes, Sonic noticed that they were only about five minutes away. There were a few things he would have liked to talk to Shadow about, but he decided to wait until he'd be able to hear him. He smiled as memories of their past encounters went through his mind.

Shadow veered to the left and went down a battered dirt road. Their bodies shook from the rough road texture. There was a big brick wall up ahead where the trail went into the side of G.U.N. HQ, but there wasn't an opening. Sonic yelped, wrapping his legs around Shadow and clamping down hard against the other in anticipation of the impact. It never came.

They went straight through what seemed to be a holographic wall and came to a gradual stop. The air around them felt warm on their fur. Shadow stood without warning and, having Sonic clung to him, brought him with.

Sonic startled and dropped to the floor with a grunt.

"What the hell, Shads?" He growled from his crisscross position on the concrete floor.

"We're here," Shadow said, his voice waving a little in amusement.

Sonic took a look around as he stood and dusted himself off. They were in a parking garage, but instead of parking spots, there were large storage units.

Sonic rose a brow. "Where exactly is here?"

"G.U.N. vehicle storage. Specifically, the bike section."

He wheeled his bike up to one of the storage units and placed his hand on a glass sheet to scan. The door clicked open and Shadow put his bike in, closing the door behind it with a loud clack.

"That's pretty neat..." Sonic said, grinning crookedly when Shadow looked at him.

Shadow gave a hum for acknowledgment and motioned for Sonic to follow him. At the end of the room, in the middle of the wall, was an elevator.

Sonic stood next to Shadow awkwardly, trying to find something to say. He had so many questions running around his head earlier, but now he couldn't recall them.

"So..." He began lamely. "Develop any hobbies?"

Shadow looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "...I like to read."

Sonic smiled brightly. "Oh, that's cool! What kinds of books?"

Shadow pondered for a moment, trying to form his response. "Various types of novels. The ones I like the most are focused on an essence of mystery, relationship and longing."

Sonic smirked "You like mystery romance novels?" He leaned to try and catch his eye.

Shadow ignored his attempts and closed his eyes. "Is that not what I just said?"

"I didn't really take you for the mushy, lovey type."

Shadow grinned slightly. "You never know how someone spends their time alone. They've taught me a lot. I enjoy happy endings." He finally granted eye contact.

Sonic held his gaze for a moment, the elevator music playing softly in his ears. "Well, that's great! It's nice to have actual conversations with you without being insulted and challenged."

Shadow joined in with a low chuckle. "I'm also no longer an angsty teenager anymore so that helps tremendously."

"Aren't you like more than sixty years old?"

"Technically, I was still just a teenager when I was released. Years don't say much for maturity. I was very lost and naive when you first knew me," Shadow said, taking a step out of the elevator after it reached their level.

"Well, I'm sure a lot of our fights were caused by me being a pesky jerk, too."

"That also."

Sonic followed Shadow down a long hall that ended with two large doors. The lights were headache bright and his knee was protesting against him again, but it was still much better than wandering around the city all day to find something to do.

"Listen, try not to say anything in here unless directly spoken to, okay?" Shadow asked with one of his hands on the large door.

"Can do."

Shadow pushed in and nodded for Sonic to follow. It was a big room with ceiling to floor windows looking out from the highest floor. It was a stunning view that Sonic couldn't stop looking at. There was a desk in the middle of the room with a very old, very stern looking Commander waiting for them to state their business.

"He's still alive...?" Sonic whispered to himself.

Apparently, he hadn't lowered his voice enough because Shadow shot a warning glare at him. Sonic apologized, the stare being enough to send his heart to his throat.

"Commander. I was able to find the stolen Emeralds. They were being held by one of Eggman's robots," Shadow said.

The Commander nodded approvingly. "Very good, Shadow. Were you able to track where they were going?"

"No, sir. I was only able to grab the Emeralds," Shadow said. He gave the burlap sack to The Commander who looked inside.

"Good. All three are here. I think it's safe to assume they will be going after the others. I would like you to gather them and bring them back here until we can figure out this month's scheme. Be sure to alert Knuckles the Echidna in case they try after the Master Emerald, too." The Commander walked the burlap sack over to a safe in the corner of the room and locked them up. "These should be safe here for now. I'll have them moved to higher security later on,." He turned to address Sonic. "Sonic the Hedgehog. It's been a long time. I trust you've stayed out of trouble?"

Sonic grinned. "For the most part, sir. I'm sure G.U.N. has kept up with me all these years."

The Commander chuckled and sat back down at his desk with a slight grunt. "Very observant. You're going to be joining Shadow on this case I presume? It would be good to have your expertise."

Sonic swelled with pride. He glanced over at Shadow who kept his eyes on the floor, but Sonic could see a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth. "I'll sure do my best, sir."

"Excellent. I'd say you're more than qualified. It's not like you'd back off if I said no anyways," The Commander joked.

Sonic shrugged.

"Very well. I believe our business is done here. I wish you two luck on your mission."

"Thank you, sir," Shadow said, turning to leave. He let out a puff of air he hadn't realized he was holding as soon as the large doors shut behind them. "That went well."

Sonic laughed. "It sure did. Will Rouge and Omega be joining us?"

Shadow shook his head slightly. "No. Rouge and Omega retired from G.U.N. years ago. Rouge is focused primarily on her club. She likes to hunt for special gems that she can put on display. She's doing well. Omega is on a self-assigned mission to rid the world of Eggman's robots. He's wiped out a good chunk of them, but there are so many that it'll probably take a long time for him to accomplish it. This has been a solo mission for me until you came along."

They walked back to the elevator.

"Well, I'm glad I could liven things up."

"So am I, actually," he said to Sonic's surprise. "I may have acted a bit harshly at first, but I am glad that I'm able to reform a camaraderie of some sort with you. I feel bad for how I used to treat you."

A light blush spread across Sonic's cheeks. He cleared his throat and looked at the floor when Shadow chuckled at him. "Thanks..." he muttered.

They ended up on the eleventh floor where the elevator opened in a hallway across from an elaborate gym. The whole wall across from the elevator was glass so everything inside could be seen. People of various sizes and species were undergoing vigorous training exercises from hand to hand combat to ninjutsu to gun shooting.

Sonic stared in awe. "Wow, this is amazing."

Shadow walked him down the hall to the right and explained how the gym had been put in several years ago. G.U.N. was afraid that their outside training area was too vulnerable. Paranoid of the possibility of an enemy onlooking all of their training, they had one built securely inside.

They reached a plain, black door with a plaque that had 'Agent Shadow' etched in gold writing. Shadow opened the door with a small key.

It was a roomy office. A sleek, black desk sat in the corner with a heavy-duty computer on top. The walls were a pretty, pale purple that gave the room an inviting feel. A gray couch sat in the corner opposite of Shadow's desk with throw pillows sat on top and a blanket draped across the back. It was facing a small television. Shelves lined most of the walls with books upon books lined up neatly. Sonic tried to see if Shadow stored any 'personal' books around, but sadly they were all business related or classy literature.

"You have your own office now? Are you some kind of big wig?" Sonic asked as he stretched out on the sofa.

Shadow took a seat at his desk and started typing away. "No, but I'm held in high regards. I get stuff done."

He grabbed a long black case from the front of his desk, opened it and grabbed a pair of reading glasses to put on.

Sonic watched him from afar. He couldn't help but notice how nice Shadow looked with glasses. The quills on the sides of his head held them in place perfectly. He had never voiced it before, but he really envied the beautiful white fur that covered Shadow's chest.

"Can I help you?" Shadow said, raising a brow at Sonic. He had been caught staring.

"Uh, no— no, I'm good, thanks," Sonic said, averting his eyes. How embarrassing.

Shadow smirked and continued what he was doing.

Exactly what, Sonic didn't know. "So, are you working on something or... what?"

"I'm running an energy scan across Earth to locate where the other Emeralds are."

"Any luck?"

"Yes, actually," Shadow said while scribbling something down on a notepad. "Our system has located all of them." He stood and brought the notepad over for Sonic to see. "All but one is actually in South Island. One in Scrap Brain, one in Spring Yard and one in the Jungle."

Shadow had written all of the locations on his notepad in neat cursive writing.

Sonic raised a brow. "So, where's the last one?"

"The last one is actually on West Side Island. New Mobotropolis. I think we should go after that one last."

"Why?"

"It's being used for the royal wedding. They like having one during ceremonies for good luck and fortune. I suggest we retrieve the other ones in time for us to attend the wedding and request for the Emerald's possession afterward." He removed his glasses to look at Sonic.

Sonic gave a hard eye roll. "Chaos, anything but that. Is there no other way we can retrieve the Emerald? Weddings are a bummer."

"Sonic, I know of your… past with Princess Sally, but you can't let personal affairs affect this mission. I apologize, but that's our plan of action."

Sonic stared at him. He was surprised Shadow had even paid attention to who he associated himself with, let alone who he dated. He felt a drop of dread race through his stomach. "That sucks."

"Has it not been thirteen years since you two separated? I'm not an expert in these situations, but that is a lot of time to—"

Sonic's quills bristled and he gave a heated glare. "Why is it any of your business anyway?"

Shadow held his eyes for a moment before he slightly hung his head. "I suppose it's not. I apologize for intruding."

The lamp in the corner of the office flickered a bit as Sonic slowly backed down from his defensive position. He patted down some quills. " No, Shads, I'm sorry. It's just—"

"It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

The room ached with silence. They tried not to make eye contact.

"Well, I've got some paperwork to accomplish this evening. I suppose we should split up until tomorrow morning."

Sonic nodded, face still hot from embarrassment.

Shadow held his hand out for his notepad and Sonic gently handed it to him. He scribbled something down, ripped the page and handed it to him.

"That's my apartment address and number if you need me," Shadow said.

"Should I meet you here in the morning?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "Sure. Eight o'clock if you don't mind."

Sonic gave him a small smile. "Not at all." He reached out for a handshake. "It was nice seeing you again. I look forward to working with you."

Shadow stared the hand held before him in peace. He took it firmly.

"Likewise."


	5. Chapter 4

When Sonic arrived home, he shut the front door and leaned back on it with a sigh.

"Where have you been all day?" Tails said from the kitchen.

When Sonic walked through the kitchen door, a wall of rich smells hit him. Tails and Cream were working around the island cutting vegetables, stirring pots and mixing spices.

"That smells amazing, guys! What are you making?"

"Just a soup that Cream found online. It looked really good so we decided to give it a shot."

"Awesome." Sonic sat at the island with his chin in his hands. "You would not believe who I ran into today."

"Try us."

Sonic paused dramatically. "Shadow!"

They both stopped moving about the kitchen and looked at him with curiosity.

"That's what has you so excited?" Tails asked.

"Tails, I know it sounds crazy, but he's so different," Sonic said. "He's sweet, considerate, still a bit bland, but it's much better than his old crummy attitude. I knew he had a great personality hidden under all that angst. I volunteered to help him on his mission and he actually accepted!"

"It's not like you would have taken no for an answer—"

Sonic pouted. "Chaos, everyone keeps saying that. I can handle a no, guys."

Tails and Cream gave an unconvinced look.

"Okay, maybe I begged a little," he admitted. "Anyway, Eggman is at it again. We encountered some pretty scary robots."

"Why scary?"

"They've got some kind of life-force draining ability. I've never seen anything like it before. It stares straight into your eyes and sucks the life right out of you," he placed his fingers in circles around his eyes for emphasis. "I got a little too close and boy was that not a fun experience."

"That's quite interesting, but it doesn't really sound like Eggman's style."

"Tails, Eggman's 'style'," Sonic said, using his fingers to quote the word style, "Is whatever he feels like doing. Nothing is out of his jurisdiction."

Tails rose a brow. "First of all, that's not how you use that word. Second, I understand what you're saying, and it would have made sense ten years ago, but Eggman hasn't done anything original in a long time."

Sonic sat back in his seat and stared at the ceiling as he thought. He felt that Tails was right, but at the same time it was too weird for it not to be Eggman's if only because it had been so long.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to figure it out."

Sonic smirked. "Of course I will!"

He watched them finish cooking and sat to eat with them. It didn't occur to him that he hadn't eaten all day, so the soup didn't last long in front of him.

"Remember that project I had been working on a few years ago?" Tails asked.

"You're gonna have to be a bit more descriptive than that, bud. You've got thousands to choose from," Sonic laughed. He gave a little nudge to Cream and she giggled softly.

Tails rolled his eyes. "You know, the one that was stolen when someone broke into my lab."

"Oh, right, the alt-y whatsit."

"It was a reality altering suit. You used it a couple times to stop Eggman until we found out it was extremely sensitive to water," Tails said.

"What?" Cream asked. "A reality altering suit? How would that even work?"

Sonic jumped at his chance to explain. "It's this cool skin tight suit that hooks up to one of Tails' tablets. He can enter some kinda complicated data that molds the suit into whoever you want. It was so awesome. One time I used it to disguise myself as Orbot and told Eggman that Knuckles leaves the Master Emerald alone on the weekends to go to his dancing tournaments! You should have seen the look on his face when he showed up on Angle Island and Knuckles kicked his butt!" He burst into laughter with his face on the table.

Tails chuckled, recalling the memory. "Anyway, I found security footage of that night."

Sonic recovered from his laughing fit. "Really? I thought those cameras were destroyed."

"They were, but I was able to save a lot of the footage and never went through it until I just found it again after cleaning up. It was a hooded figure, but somehow they were able to maneuver around the cameras as if they knew exactly where they were as soon as they walked in. And then, you know, they smashed them."

"That's creepy," Cream said.

"Yeah… that really sucked because you were working on fixing it."

"I know," Tails said. "I had finally gotten it up and running again after the rain destroyed it, but I wasn't able to fix that bug yet. It was so disappointing to see it gone."

"Why don't you make another one?"

"That was one of the most difficult things I've ever built. I just haven't felt motivated enough to make another."

"Well, that's alright, bud. There are plenty of other things to make."

"Thanks, Sonic."

Shadow walked into Club Rouge with an uncharacteristic grin and high spirits not even his three-hour paperwork adventure had been able to waver. Rouge waved him over to the bar and he took a seat. He frequented Club Rouge at least two or three times a week, but he never drank. He wasn't too fond of the taste of alcohol. Rouge, on the other hand, was a very different story.

"Ooh, Shadow, what's got you all smiley and high on life?" Rouge asked from the other side of the bar. She mixed drinks and handed them out skillfully. Her long white hair fell on her back and shoulders attractively and her black, skin tight dress left nothing for the imagination. She filled out beautifully as a young woman, figure going strong into her thirties.

Shadow leaned across the counter and took the class of cranberry juice his friend offered him. "Guess who I ran into today," Shadow said before he took a long gulp.

Rouge gave a dramatic sound of annoyance. "Shadow, you know how I hate guessing games. Just tell me, won't you?" She waved down one of her employees, had them take over for her, and sat in the bench stool next to Shadow.

Shadow smiled into his drink without looking at her. "Sonic," he said almost bashfully.

"No!"

"I know. It's been, what, fifteen years?" Shadow said.

Rouge scooted in with more interest. "Yeah, or close to it. Wow, did you guys talk?"

Shadow chuckled and covered his face with his hand. "Well, yeah, we're going to be working on my current mission together."

"What?" Rouge took a large swig of her drink. "Did some catastrophic event happen that I missed?"

The hum of the upbeat music coming from speakers above helped him relive the moment. "I actually hit him with my motorbike as I was chasing one of Eggman's robots."

Shadow explained all of the events of the day to Rouge who listened intently. All the while, her grin grew bigger and bigger until Shadow had to ask what was so funny.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" She asked.

Shadow huffed and sat back in his chair. It was a difficult question. He had developed feelings for Sonic maybe a year before he stopped seeing him. That smile, those beautiful Emerald eyes and that addicting personality all had Shadow flopping around like putty. Of course, back then he had no idea what those feelings meant, and it just angered him further. So, he tried as hard as he could to never ever run into Sonic again. After Eggman started to slow down, it didn't take as much effort. He honestly didn't think he'd ever see Sonic again but here he was with the same old gurgling in his stomach.

"I think so." Shadow came to somewhat of a conclusion.

Rouge's chest bounced with her harsh laughter and she gripped Shadow's arm in excitement. "You have to ask him out," she said.

Shadow rolled his eyes and pried her hands off of him gently. "I won't say it didn't cross my mind. He still seems kind of hung up on Sally though."

"That's kind of pathetic. It's been forever."

Shadow shrugged and took another swig if his juice. "He probably thinks that because Sally, his most prominent romantic interest, didn't want him anymore that nobody else would want him. So, he most likely never put himself back out there for fear of rejection. You know, theoretically. He hasn't mentioned any love affairs so far and the tabloids usually have information on that kind of stuff. Nothing."

Rouge laughed. "You're such a hopeless romantic. I'm just glad your days of scouring magazines and news channels for information on Blue are likely over." She went back behind the bar to pour herself another glass as she had been downing her drink through the duration of their conversation.

Shadow kept a close eye on her. He noted that this would probably be another night where he had to carry Rouge home for the umpteenth time.

"I was not just scouring for information, I was… making sure he was okay."

Rouge gave him an unconvinced look. "Mhm. What do you plan on doing with him?"

"I don't know yet. I've only just seen him for the first time in years. He doesn't even know… me," Shadow said. "And I don't even know if he's… you know."

Rouge laughed loudly. "Oh, dear Shadow, for someone as observant as you, you're still a bit clueless when it comes to catching social hints no matter how many of those mushy books you might read."

Shadow rolled his eyes.

The music overhead switched to a slower song that Rouge swayed to. "Only time can tell, hon. Just be nice and charm him. Drop hints. Flirt. Have fun, it shouldn't be that hard."

Shadow gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, Rouge." He then swiped her drink from her, ignoring her colorful complaints. "And that's enough of that."


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! i just want to say thank you for reading. I know a lot of you are a bit confused with what's going on with this story, but i ask you to please bear with me if you would. There were places i wanted to go with this story that i couldn't figure out how to do with the older version. My focus has kind of shifted with what i want to concentrate on when it comes to the characters, too. i hope you can grow to like this one as much as the other. I'm a very busy bee and it's the highlight of my day when i get to sit down and write this for you guys, but I am also trying to prevent this from feeling like a chore. I read each and every one of your comments and soak in the criticism like a sponge, so i thank you for your feedback. it's what keeps me going and improving. Thanks so much**!

Sonic relaxed in his bed, having beat the sun that morning. The air in his room was cool and fresh tasting due to the window he had accidentally left open the night before, but he was not looking forward to feeling it on his skin. The thought made him burrow deeper into his blankets. He could just make out the very slight pink of the sky in the distance.

His head wandered aimlessly. He thought about Tails and Cream and hoped they would enjoy living together. Certain memories popped into his head here and there and he laughed at them. He thought about Shadow. The very image of him in his mind's eye made Sonic's skin tingle. He wondered if Shadow still lived alone or if he had a girlfriend. He supposed he would find out soon. His mind hung on his dark physique. Broad shoulders. Developed arms, chest and legs. His cute tail. Sonic laughed at that one. Even though his body was incredible, his piercing, fiery eyes were what made Sonic squirm.

Sonic's wandering thoughts eventually led him to a bit of a situation. He huffed and pulled himself out of bed, the warm blanket falling from his heated body and exposing him to the cool morning air of his bedroom. He swore there could have been steam floating off his fur.

Dust particles and moisture danced together in the light from his window. As a kid, he loved to chase them, but as an adult, he was content with still being able to notice them. They only distracted him for a moment as he continued to buckle his shoes. He briefly looked around his room for the slip of paper Shadow had given him and narrowly spotted it in his bathroom on the counter. He snagged it and threw it into his backpack that he had prepared with a few aids for their mission. He wrapped his scarf around his muzzle before walking out into the chilly fall morning. He stepped a little ways away to do his stretches and prayed that no other unexpected motorcyclists would decide to make him a target that day. Again, he worked his knee, kneading out the morning stiffness. He felt like such an old man.

He stopped at a coffee shop for some hot cocoa before heading in the direction of Shadow's apartment. Sonic held the cup close to his nose and warmed himself up. It was days like this that he wished he had a car.

Sonic found Shadow's apartment building fairly quickly. He kept glancing between the piece of paper where the address was scrawled and the enormous building in front of him. It was extravagant. He stepped inside and was awed by how immaculate everything looked. He walked up to the desk and was greeted by a very enthusiastic worker who showed him where to go.

Sonic entered the elevator and punched in his destination. The elevator music was very soothing and instrumental. He found Shadow's door not too far down the hall and rang the little doorbell. He heard some quiet shuffling inside before the chain was undone and the door opened.

"Hey, Sonic, you're early," Shadow said a tad nervously.

Sonic rose a brow and glanced at a clock that hung in the wall a little bit down the hall. "Only by... fifteen minutes."

Shadow shuffled his feet. "Okay, hold on."

He retreated back into the apartment with the door left open and peeked around the corner to see if Rouge was dressed appropriately. She had gotten too drunk for Shadow to feel safe letting her go home on her own and he couldn't stay at her place that night because Sonic would be at his place in the morning. So, he opted to let her sleep on his couch. Rouge had some pajamas stored in his dresser for nights like that, so Shadow gave a breath of relief to see that she was wearing them. To his annoyance, a lot of times she would crash in her underwear.

"Come in," Shadow said.

Sonic, who had waited politely by the door, stepped inside and looked around curiously with his hands tightened around the straps of his backpack. It was a studio apartment with an amazing view of the city from the giant window directly across the entrance. Soft yellows and whites decorated Shadow's home. The kitchen was small and practical. The living room had a loveseat and a sofa situated around a flat screen that hung on the wall. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted into his nose along with a faint masculine smell that he assumed was Shadow. Sonic noticed shuffling on the couch and was surprised to see someone sit up.

"Oh! Uh... I hope I wasn't... interrupting anything," Sonic said.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "No, nothing at all. Rouge was just leaving." He suggestively nodded his head towards the door when she looked up at him.

"Jeez, Shadow, don't get your stripes in a twist. I'm going."

She gathered up her purse and slipped into her heels from the night before. She hobbled a little, her hangover destroying her brain. She wasn't in too much pain to mess with Shadow, though, and clumsily sauntered behind him on her way to the door to give his bottom a rough tap.

Shadow grunted and turned a burning glare at her.

"Good luck," She whispered.

Sonic stood to the side as she walked past him with a knowing grin.

"Lookin' good there, Big Blue."

Sonic smirked. "Wish I could say the same to you, Rouge, but I think I've seen your better days."

The door clicked softly behind her, cutting off her sultry laugh.

Shadow sighed. "What a brat."

Sonic chuckled, giving Shadow a suggestive look. "So, uh, are you guys… you know—" He made a terribly inappropriate gesture with his hands.

"Oh, Chaos, no. No, no, we've never... just no." Shadow stumbled over his words, a bit thrown off by Sonic's vulgarity. "She got drunk last night and I let her sleep on my couch."

Sonic laughed. "Lost in the sauce, huh?"

Shadow sighed as he walked to his fridge. He pulled out a carton of eggs and set them on the counter.

"Hungry?"

They conversed at the kitchen island as they ate breakfast.

Sonic inhaled the food savagely, not believing how delicious it was. Eggs weren't something he ate often, but he would eat them every day if Shadow made them for him.

"Thanks for the food, Shads," Sonic said. He handed over his plate to be washed.

Shadow's stomach lurched annoyingly at the nickname. Only Sonic ever called him that. His position by the sink hid his goofy grin.

"No problem."

Sonic swung his feet back and forth as he watched Shadow clean their plates meticulously. "So how are we going to start our mission?"

"I think we should start our search in Spring Yard. Because it's an annoying place and I want to get it over with. What say you?"

"How can Spring Yard be annoying? It's just about the funnest place in the world," Sonic said. The scowl Shadow turned to give him made laughter bubble in his chest.

"Of course you'd think that."

"I'm okay with it going first! Should we head out soon?"

Shadow glanced at the clock on his microwave and hummed. "Yeah, we better. Who knows where the Emeralds are hiding. We'd better hurry before Dr. Robotnik gets to them first."

Shadow stuck all the dishes into the dishwasher and started it.

Sonic chuckled at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You're like a cute little housewife. Cooking and doing dishes..."

Shadow crossed his arms and seized his opportunity. "You think I'm cute?"

Sonic's face immediately dropped into an embarrassed grimace. He coughed into his fist. "I... uh... I didn't mean to—"

"Calm down, I'm just messing," Shadow said. "But for the record, you're not so bad yourself. Never mind how sexist that statement was."

Sonic froze in place as Shadow walked away. If his chest were a stove, it'd be on fire.

"Do you need a jacket? That scarf is nice and all, but we're going to be out for a while," Shadow said from his closet. He pulled out a dark leather jacket for himself.

"I-I don't even own a jacket," Sonic said and scratched behind his ear.

"You know winter is coming, right? Do you want to borrow one?"

"... Sure."

Shadow dug around in his closet for another jacket. Not too heavy if they were going to be running, but not too light or he would get cold. He pulled out an old purple and white letterman coat that Rouge had gotten him for his twentieth (or seventieth if he got technical) birthday. It was nice, but he didn't wear it too often. It was plain; no lettering.

"Here. This is a nice one."

Sonic pulled it on and buttoned a few notches. It fit well and smelt of Shadow. He smiled into the collar. "Thanks, Shads."

Shadow picked up a backpack that sat on the floor of his closet and threw it over his shoulder. "I've got the necessary gear, too."

He pulled a small squarish device from the side pocket and booted it up. It was attached to the backpack by a wire and beeped loudly as it powered on.

"What's that?"

"It's a Chaos sensor. It'll be able to pick up on concentrated areas of Chaos energy. Likely to be an Emerald. The only other things it would be able to pick up with an energy signature even close to that is the Master Emerald and myself," Shadow said. "We'll just chase its signals. It makes things much easier."

"Sweet! Let's get 'er done, buddy!"

Shadow huffed.

As soon as they stepped out of Shadow's apartment building, Sonic took in a deep breath of the cold air.

"Want to race?" Shadow asked. His grin was almost mocking.

Sonic tsk-ed. "You should at least know better than to challenge me, Shadow. It might put a dampen on our newfound friendship."

"You say that like you would win."

"Okay, simmer down there Mr. Cocky."

Shadow laughed. "Doesn't have to mean anything."

"You know full well that races mean everything to me."

"Uh huh. Then I'll be extra careful not to make you eat too much dust. Wouldn't want a stomach ache and a bruised ego."

"You're really digging a hole that deep? You sure?"

Shadow locked eyes with him. "Surer than I've ever been."

Sonic's heart fluttered. "Alright… you're on."

"First one to the edge of Spring Yard?"

"Sounds good."

"Go!"

They both shot off in a blur, leaving people to wonder what had caused such incredible wind.

Spring Yard wasn't too far from the city, but not too many people liked to visit besides unsupervised teenagers and adrenaline junkies. Throughout the years, most of the springs and cords had receded into the ground and were covered by vegetation and growth. One wrong step could shoot someone to the other side of the zone. Typically the trees would provide a decent landing, but sometimes they didn't— which was why the area was deemed dangerous years ago. That didn't stop Sonic from showing up every once in a while though. He and Tails alway had incredible fun bouncing around.

Tails had developed weighted shoes that kept them from bouncing too high. Good thing Sonic thought to bring them in his backpack. He couldn't contain his excitement to see Shadow try to maneuver the zone.

Shadow zipped across the city alongside Sonic. They weaved in and out of traffic and people. The buildings started to become less and less until both hedgehogs were running through a green field of grass. Spring Yard could be seen in the distance, so Sonic picked up his speed. And, to his annoyance, so did Shadow. They continued to run at each other's pace until the trees of their destination zone came into view. They both spotted the small, metal sign that read 'Spring Yard Zone: Enter At Your Own Risk'.

Sonic began to slowdown so as to not start running into the trees, branches and various vines of the zone, but as he let up on speed, his foot hit the ground at a bad angle, causing his knee to give out and send him stumbling. He recovered quickly, but not enough to catch up with the Shadow.

Shadow smirked in victory when he reached the sign, Sonic trudging just behind him.

"What happened to you? Getting old?" Shadow teased.

Sonic gave him a sour look. "Shut up." He plopped down onto the ground to rub at his aching knee. "Hell." He whined. He felt angry. He was so sick and tired of having to deal with this handicap. What good was Sonic the Hedgehog when he couldn't run?

Shadow rose a brow and placed his hands on his hips. "What's wrong?"

Sonic huffed, stretching his leg out as far as it could go. "I have a bad knee..." he said. "Sorry about your jacket." He swiped dirt and grass from the sleeves.

"Forget about the jacket. Are you going to be okay?"

The cool winter wind brushed past them harshly and sent a shiver down their spines. Sonic pulled his legs close to his chest and burrowed into his jacket. "Yeah, but I'd be even better if I was warm." Not only because the cold made his knee ache more, but because he hated the dreary, sad feeling of winter.

Shadow smiled. "Alright. Well, we better get a move on. If you don't mind?" He asked. "I can take you back home if you want to sit this out—"

"No, no, I'm fine. Honest," Sonic said, standing with a grunt. "Now that we're here, I have some helpful tools for us to use."

"You have my attention."

Sonic pulled two pairs of boots from his backpack. "These are weighted boots so you aren't sprung into next week. I set yours to the highest available weight."

Shadow accepted his pair appreciatively.

Sonic looked away awkwardly as Shadow changed shoes. He started to slip his own off, but paused when Shadow looked at him. He had finished fastening his own boots already and held his jet shoes in his hand.

Sonic fidgeted. "Um... Do you mind...?"

"No...?"

Sonic huffed. "Turn around you big dope."

Shadow rose a brow, but turned around.

Sonic switched his shoes in a hurry and shoved his every day pair into his backpack. He walked around to where Shadow was facing and held his bag out for his shoes.

"Okay. So, the sensor says that the Emerald is to the Southwest. Let's head that way," Shadow said.

They maneuvered the forest floor carefully, both keeping their eyes peeled for unwanted surprises. The Chaos sensor beeped at a slow, quiet pace. The fall air was a bit dulled in the forest due to the trees blocking the wind and the surrounding brush was eerily quiet. There were randomly placed and crumbly walls covered in vegetation.

Sonic stepped over a log slowly, but a spring shot out from a forest wall and shoved him face down into the dirt. Shadow, with no help given whatsoever, stood and cackled at him. He held his breath when Sonic gave him a death glare.

Sonic picked himself up and did his best to brush off the dirt and grass clumped all around him.

"Still love this Zone?"

"Yes I do, thank you very much."

As Sonic and Shadow walked deeper into the forest, they started heard metal clanging not too far ahead. Birds flew from the trees in alarm. Shadow paused and his ears swiveled, trying to pick up any other peculiar sounds. He noticed that they were coming from the same direction the Chaos sensor suspected the Emerald to be. Wasting no time, he shoved the tracker into the pocket on the side of his backpack and took off in the direction as fast as he could.

"Hey! What the—" He followed.

Shadow weaved through the trees, praying to Chaos he wouldn't step on any springs. His prayers went unanswered as right foot pounded on a spring. It sent him up, not even high enough to break the leaf ceiling, and the shoes allowed him to land softly back on the ground. He smiled to himself a moment. He saw another spring in the distance, zipped to it and jumped on it. This time, he broke through and could see out over the treetops. He spotted a group of people huddled around a giant, glowing portal in the middle of a clearing. When he landed, Sonic stopped next to him.

"Come on, Shads, we're supposed to work together. What's going on?" Sonic whined. He didn't want to miss out on anything spectacular.

"There's a Special Zone up ahead," Shadow said. "Follow me."

They came to the edge of the clearing and hid in a bush. The area was covered in beautiful yellow daisies and patches of clover. A giant ring-shaped portal floated in the middle with what looked like four robots standing around and looking inside. They were clearly unnerved by the swimming colors and hovering platforms inside. It was a clip to a different dimension.

"You sure it's in there?" A robotic monkey asked the others.

"It's gotta be. This is where Boss said it would be," another answered.

"It doesn't look too safe."

"Doesn't matter. We gotta get the Emerald and the Emerald is in there."

Sonic sat and waited for direction from Shadow while studying the androids closely. They looked way more advanced than what Eggman usually cranked out.

Shadow scooted closer to Sonic and whispered into his ear. "We can probably run right past them without a problem. Don't you think?"

"Definitely."

"Okay. I'm going to search for an opening. When I say go, we go. Got it?"

"Roger that."

Shadow kept an eye on the robots.

"One."

They were still deciding whether to go in or not and seemed to be on the verge of going for it.

"Two."

One of them turned to talk and left the edge of the ring wide open.

"Three."

Both Sonic and Shadow noticed it at the same time and nodded to each other.

"Go!"

The robots all spun around, looking all over for the sound, but oblivious to the flash of blue and yellow that snuck past them.

Sonic and Shadow stopped once they thought they were deep enough in the Zone to not be seen. They wobbled as the platform beneath them floated back and forth and the flashing lights were enough to cause an instant head ache.

"I think I see the Emerald!" Sonic said over the loud white noise.

"Okay. Let's grab it together so it can transport us out of this hell hole!"

They could see the Emerald in the distance, but there were many loops and jumps and swings they had to go through to get there. One wrong step and they would plunge to their certain death in the vast nothingness. They ran along different platforms.

Shadow lost his footing on an oily platform and landed hard on his bottom, sliding towards the edge at an alarming speed. He couldn't catch a grip with his glove, so he pulled it off with his teeth and pressed his claws into the platform before he slid off the edge. He was able to slow down, but not before he started to fall off the ledge. He gripped the side tightly, his fingers and nails giving off great protest to the exertion.

Sonic skidded to a halt when he saw Shadow struggling. "Shadow! Hold on, I'm coming!"

"I wasn't really planning on letting go!" Shadow growled around the glove between his teeth.

Sonic landed on the slick platform unsteadily and tried his best to keep his composure as he slid towards Shadow. When he reached the edge next to where he was hanging, he stuck his leg out as far as he could to reach the next platform. Sonic winced at the pain in his knee, but held the split the best he could. He stuck an arm out for Shadow to grab onto.

Shadow turned and reached for Sonic's hand, just short of grabbing it. Their finger's brushed.

"Shadow, you'll have to let go of the ledge," Sonic said.

Red-hot pain bloomed under his kneecap and spread up his leg like wildfire. Fear of his leg snapping like a twig surfaced in his head. A low whine shook his chest.

"Are you kidding?"

"Shadow, just trust me!"

Shadow grunted. "Shit."

He pulled himself up, pushed off the platform and latched onto Sonic's arm with both hands. Sonic howled, but held strong as he swung Shadow to the next platform. Shadow crawled up and reached out to grab Sonic by his backpack and pull him over like a rag doll. Sonic wobbled, but found his footing quickly.

Shadow inhaled deeply. "Thanks, Sonic."

"D-Don't... mention it."

The rest of the way to the Emerald was easier together. Sonic put up a seven foot thick mental wall to keep himself from buckling under the throbbing pain in his leg. The yellow Emerald glimmered as they ran up to it at last, and as soon as Shadow touched it, the world around them warped.

A spark appeared slightly above the trees on the edge of Spring Yard. It started small, but grew until it spat out the two hedgehogs. One landed on his feet and one on his face.

Shadow laughed. "You must really like to eat dirt, huh?"

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny, Shadow," Sonic said, picking himself up and wiping dirt off his face for the second time that day.

"You don't have to tell me."

Sonic huffed and limped over to him.

Shadow locked eyes on Sonic's knee and opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm fine." Sonic cut him off.

"If you say so." He reluctantly let it go. "I suppose we should make a stop at Angel Island."

Sonic smiled ear to ear. "Sweet! Can we stop at a candy store?"


	7. Chapter 6

Shadow winced at a toddler's scream. "Why are we here?"

"Just give me a minute and we'll bounce."

Sonic searched around the rows of gum drops and lollipops, throwing just about every other treat into the decorative plastic bag he picked out at the entrance.

Shadow lingered by the door getting curious glances from parents all around the store. He supposed he didn't look too kid friendly. Nonetheless, he watched in amusement as Sonic bounced about excitedly.

Shadow cleared his throat. "Ready?"

Sonic walked over to him and nodded happily, a bag filled to the brim with any candy that could come to mind.

"Alright, let's go."

Shadow used the Emerald they had retrieved to warp to Angel Island. They stumbled upon landing.

Sonic whined with a hand to his head. "I will never get used to that feeling." He started to walk down a dirt road that Shadow didn't recognize as the direction to the Emerald.

"Where are you going?"

"... to Knuckles's? His house isn't far from the Master Emerald. Just follow me," Sonic said.

Shadow obeyed and trailed after him through the trees. "Knuckles has a house...?'

Sonic laughed. "Did you think he just laid around the temple all day?"

"Yes. I guess I don't know much about him."

"You're in for a surprise then!"

They came to a clearing with a cozy cottage situated in the middle. There were flowers and bushes planted prettily with little fairy statues littered everywhere. Toy wagons, soccer balls and dolls sat around the side of the house as if someone had just left them. A lush garden was in the edge of the clearing with all kinds of berries and vegetables.

Shadow it all in questioningly. It certainly did not look like a Knuckles residence.

Sonic wasted no time knocking on the door. Slight stumbling could be heard inside before the door unlatched and Julie-Su appeared in the doorway.

"Sonic! Nice to see you," she said. She hugged him tightly, only then noticing Shadow. Hands still clutched to Sonic's shoulders firmly, she eyed him. "Who have you brought along?"

"Oh, I guess you two have never met." Sonic glanced between them. "Julie, this is Shadow. Shadow, Julie-Su."

Julie-Su shook Shadow's hand politely. "Nice to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet your acquaintance, Miss."

"Wow, Sonic, you sure know how to pick 'em," Julie-Su said with a wink.

Sonic's heart immediately started hammering in his chest. "It's not like that Jules."

Shadow smirked at him; Sonic swatted at his arm.

Julie laughed at Sonic's expense. " Uh huh. Come on in." She stepped back inside.

Sonic took a step after her. "She's in a good mood."

Shadow pulled him back by the arm and leaned close. "Who is she exactly?"

"That's Knuckles's wife, Shads."

"Oh... What?"

They shut the door quietly and walked through the house to the kitchen. It was simply decorated with family photos, wedding photos and several baby pictures. The smell of cinnamon wafted through the air mixed with a fresh breeze from their many open windows. About a dozen surveillance cameras were situated in corners of the kitchen and living room. They showed just about every angle that the Master Emerald could be seen from.

"Knuckles! Sonic and his friend are here!" Julie-Su yelled up the stairway.

Excited chirps and tiny footsteps came from down the hall. Lara-Su came running out of her room, happy to see her favorite person.

"Sonic!"

"There's my lovely little girl!" Sonic scooped her into his arms and placed raspberries all over. She squealed and laughed. He set her on his hip. "I have something for you!"

Lara clapped excitedly. "What? What's it?"

Sonic pulled out the big bag of candy and put it in the girl's arms. She gasped loudly.

Julie-Su gave Sonic a glare for giving her daughter such a gift. It was rare when Sonic didn't get Lara-Su riled up or high on sugar. She switched her look to her daughter.

"Lara, what do we say to Uncle Sonic?"

"Thank you!"

She was about to rip it open and grab a handful, but froze. She looked to her mother.

"Mommy?" She said, still perched on Sonic's hip.

"Yes dear?"

"May I have some candy?"

Julie-Su looked at her daughter. "I'd like for you to only have two, love, it's almost time for lunch."

"Okay!" She said. Lara-Su picked out her two pieces. "I go put the rest away." She squirmed in Sonic's grip until he let her down and she sprinted back to her room.

Julie rose a brow at a smirking Sonic. "Is that your doing?"

"Last time I brought candy we had a little talk about rationing."

Julie laughed.

Shadow observed silently. Though he hated to admit it, seeing Sonic speak to a child thoroughly melted his heart. It shocked him almost as much as the kid's very existence. Never did he think Knuckles would become serious about anything other than his rock.

Shadow was torn from his thoughts when a door closed up the stairs and footsteps could be heard making their way down.

"Finally, he arrives!" Sonic said.

Knuckles came down the stairs with a smile, inhaling to say something smart, but stopped dead in his tracks at the last step.

"What is he doing in my house?" He growled to Sonic, but in Shadow's direction.

Sonic winced and held both his hands up, slightly stepping in front of Shadow. "Wow, okay. Hostility," he said in a singsong voice. "He comes in peace, dude."

Knuckles tsk-ed and walked over to them. He nudged Sonic out of the way, studying Shadow up and down.

Shadow stood his ground, arms crossed against his chest. "Knuckles. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, it has. I think the last time I saw you you were groveling beneath the foot of Eggman, were you not? Plotting this planet's demise?"

"Well, I don't think I would call it groveling..." Shadow said.

Knuckles growled.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I saw you plenty of times after I stopped affiliating with the doctor, but for some reason those memories seem to escape your one track mind. I see we have the same feelings about being in each other's company, so let me cut to the chase. I was ordered to warn you about Eggman's latest activity."

Knuckles continued to stare, but let his features soften. "Alright, sure. But I'm gonna make some food, my stomach is eating itself."

Sonic groaned happily. "I love ya, bud."

They sat at the dining table and ate together. Lara-Su was seated in her high chair in the corner of the table next to Sonic where she munched on pieces of turkey and oranges. She would occasionally offer Sonic a half eaten fruit to which he would politely reject. 'No, Lara, you've gotta eat your food so you can be big and strong like me' he would say. It made her eat with more gusto.

"So," Knuckles said through a bite of his sandwich. "What's going on?"

Sonic and Shadow exchanged a glance before the latter spoke. "We wanted to warn you that there are robots roaming around for Emeralds. Be careful with any you run into. They have frightening abilities."

"Eggman is at it again and who knows what he has planned this time. Make sure you keep an extra close eye on the Master Emerald," Sonic said.

Knuckles snorted. "Like I don't always?"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Knux, we just thought you could use a heads up."

"Why are you even a part of this 'G.U.N.' mission, Sonic? Don't you have anything better to get yourself into?"

"Since when am I not after Eggman?"

Knuckles huffed. He had a point. "I'll probably shrink the Emerald and keep it with me until this thing blows over. What about the other Emeralds?"

"We're working on that," Shadow said. "We already have four in our possession."

"Well, if you're just gathering them, I could make a trip to the Jungle Zone to grab one for ya. I know exactly where it is."

"That's ok—."

"No, no, I insist. I've got nothing better to do. I'm sure you guys could use the help?"

Shadow thought for a moment, but nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to gather them as fast as possible. Thank you for your help."

"Yeah, no problem," Knuckles said.

He watched how his guests interacted. Shadow took a napkin and quickly swiped it across Sonic's cheek to brush off a few crumbs. Sonic batted him away and Shadow chuckled.

Knuckles grunted and exchanged a knowing look with his wife. "You guys are pretty cute."

Sonic froze in place and gave his old friend an embarrassed scowl. "What?"

Knuckles smirked at Sonic's discomfort. "You and Shadow. I think I can actually feel the temperature rising in here."

"Knuckles, shut up," Sonic snapped.

"Hey, you guys better watch it," Julie-Su said. "I don't wanna have to kick both of your asses."

Shadow stepped in to redirect Knuckles's torment. "Has your wife always had you on a leash?"

Knuckles's smile disappeared. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're telling me after all these years you haven't been able to grow the few braincells it takes to know what I'm saying?"

Knuckles slammed his fist on the table threateningly.

Sonic immediately shot up from his seat and laughed awkwardly. "Okay-y! Well, I think our business here is done. Thanks very much Mr. and Mrs. Knuckles for lunch. Shadow, if you will."

Knuckles and Shadow had a short stare down before Shadow calmed his gaze. "I apologize. That was rude of me to say. Thank you for lunch." He stood and reached for a handshake.

Knuckles looked taken aback by the apology, but pleased nonetheless. "Oh, um, no problem. I apologize for teasing." He gripped Shadow's hand firmly.

"I hope some day in the future we can get along better."

"Uh…" Julie-Su nudged him in the ribs. "Right, yeah. Me too?"

Sonic stared in amazement at how easily their issue was resolved. That was a first. Not as much could be said for himself, though. Knuckles probably would have ended up with a fist to the face if Shadow hadn't done something.

"Anyway, Sonic is right. We really should be on our way," Shadow said.

"Alright, sure. I'll grab that Emerald for you. Should I meet you somewhere to hand it over?"

Sonic jumped back into the conversation happily. "Probably Tails' house. We'll meet everyone there so we can explain to everyone what's going down. Say six o'clock?"

Shadow nodded softly. "Good idea. It's best to make everyone aware of what's going on so as to have more eyes on the lookout. Try not to make it public knowledge, though. Your group has a lot of experience with Eggman, so I trust that you'll know how to handle the information."

"Sounds good to me," Knuckles said.

Sonic said his goodbyes to his niece and promised her more candy next time he visited her. She laughed happily and gave him a little hug from her highchair. They were waved off and walked to the edge of Angle Island to prepare to teleport back to main ground.

"Next stop, Scrap Brain," Shadow said.

A bright light enveloped them and they were off.

"Man, this place is a junkyard."

They stood at the edge of the infamous Scrap Brain Zone. Industrial towers stood tall, looking over them intimidatingly. Various scrapes of metal and flames bursting through tubes sounded across the many miles of metal and concrete. The only habitant of the area was the smog that floated around above their heads threateningly. It was simply not a nice place to be.

"I know. Let's just get what we need and get out of here," Shadow said. He walked forward, following the path his chaos tracker set for him. "This place is way more dangerous than Spring Yard. Why doesn't it have warning signs?"

Sonic chuckled. "I don't think people need to be warned not to come here, Shads."

"... Right."

They continued their way through, watching for disappearing floors and protruding spikes. Sonic flinched at every loud sound that came from the moving metal around them. The warm air around them caressed them thickly. The working factory gave off tons of heat, making it completely unbearable in the summer, but the winter was much more doable.

Suddenly, Shadow stopped in his tracks in the middle of a courtyard type area. Sonic, who had been absently walking behind him, collided with his spines.

"Sorry," Sonic said, trying to steady himself. Shadow hadn't even budged. Sonic noticed how he kept staring at the tracking screen. "What's wrong, bud?"

"The tracker stops here," Shadow said and looked up at him. "It says it's right here."

Sonic rose a brow. "Um, well..." he said while trying to come up with a solution. "Should we go... up?"

Shadow looked up. There was nothing above them but grey sky. Not even a platform. "Doesn't look like it."

"Down?"

They both looked around the metal and concrete beneath their feet. They were in the center of a large steel circle that looked as if it could possibly slide open. Shadow spun around slowly, scanning over everything around them.

"Do you see a button or lever or anything?"

All Sonic saw was scrap metal, bolts and a random spring laying on its side. He continued to examine the sides of buildings and towers.

"There," Sonic said. He pointed at a barely distinguishable red button on the side of a high building.

Shadow had to squint to see it. "How would we get to that?

Sonic caught sight of the stray spring once more. He smiled. " I have an idea."

"Oh no."

"No, not 'oh no'," Sonic said while making his way over to the spring. He picked it up and gestured at Shadow with it. "It's pronounced 'aha!'."

Shadow watched with hidden apprehensiveness as Sonic dragged the spring over to the building and put it in the area beneath the button. He crossed his arms. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"And why not?" Sonic said, looking at him with a hand on his hip.

"That thing looks old as hell. It might get you up there, but it probably won't do much for your landing."

"Psh, come on, I've bounced on thousands of these things." Sonic stood on top of it and started rocking up and down, looking up at his target. "But if you're so concerned, just catch me." He didn't give Shadow a chance to respond before shifted his weight down and the spring shot him into the air.

"Shit!" Shadow said.

He paced around the spring nervously, watching Sonic reach the button and punch it. There was no way he'd let that rusty old thing try and catch Sonic, so he kicked it out of his way. It hadn't even been a hard kick and the spring fell to pieces. It was a wonder it even got him that high.

The metal doors they were examining earlier dragged open loudly. A dark, black tunnel with a spiral staircase was revealed.

When Sonic started to fall back down, Shadow's heart jumped out of his chest and he shuffled back and forth underneath him, holding his arms out. He got slightly annoyed when he heard the falling hedgehog laughing and almost decided to let him splat into the ground for making him panic so much.

The wind whipped past Sonic's fur and he hadn't felt so alive in a long time. Butterflies swarmed in his stomach as he fell around one hundred stories. It made him think of his younger years. Jumping and running and spinning without a care in the world. No knee pain. No expectations. No complicated feelings.

Suddenly, he felt warm arms around him. Shadow, having jumped up to grab him, pulled him tightly to his chest and landed on his feet with his body wrapped around him.

Sonic tensed up in Shadow's arms, sensing how unhappy he was. His thoughts were confirmed when he was dropped onto his back.

He whined. "Ow."

"Yeah, well it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't been here," Shadow clipped. He immediately stalked towards the spiral staircase they had opened.

Sonic got up quickly and followed after him. He gently gripped Shadow's shoulder. "Hey, Shads, what's the deal?"

Shadow turned and looked at him, his expression more confused than anything else. "I really don't know whether to laugh or be angry right now." He crossed his arms.

Sonic chuckled. "Okay, well what about this makes you laugh?"

"Your stupidity."

"Okay... and what makes you angry?"

"Your stupidity. Chaos, you could have been seriously hurt if I wasn't here. You know that?" He tried his best to keep from letting his raging emotions present themselves.

Sonic frowned. "Okay, yeah, I know I don't really think things through... but then I guess it's good you are here with me...? Thanks for saving me." His tone was almost sickeningly sweet coming from that pacifying smile.

All anger dissipated and was replaced with a just as irritating warmth. His resolve crumbled under the force of such a smile and he hated himself for it.

"Just don't do it again," Shadow grumbled.

Sonic crossed his heart. "I promise."

They walked down the steel staircase together, their shoes clanking on the metal. It got colder and colder the farther they walked. Sonic zipped up his jacket.

"The tracker is back on the trail. It's down here."

"Awesome!" Sonic said. His loud voice bounced off the walls, and the amplification stung his eardrums.

Shadow glared at him, holding one of his ears.

"Sorry..."

Nerves bundled in Sonic's gut, tugging dangerously at his lunch. As he got older, it got more difficult for him to stomach his fear.

It was silent when they reached the end of the stairs. They found a large metal door about twice their height. Displayed in the middle was an off-putting minimalistic painting of Eggman's head. They exchanged a nervous look before pressing the door open.

Eggman's old laboratory. Ceilings scaled high and the far wall was at a distance barely visible. They stood on a steel loft that was high enough for them to see all of the horrific sights below them. Billions of robotic limbs littered the ground haphazardly, rusted after who knew how long they'd been sitting there. Sonic's stomach turned when he saw bodies sat in booths around the walls. They were once fully organic, but looked to have been failed experiments. The robotic parts hung off the flesh in an offensive way. The smell was pungent and assaulted their noses.

Sonic choked. "Chaos."

Chest pounding, eyes watering and body trembling, Sonic fell to his knees and gripped his quills. Air entered and left his mouth aggressively as he tried to pull himself together.

Shadow, finally pulling his eyes from the lab, stood at his side and placed a gentle hand on his head.

"What... kind of hero am I... if I let all these people die like this?"

"You couldn't have known."

A dry sob shook Sonic's chest. "But how did I not know? I should've known. It's my job to know. It wasn't like this last time I was here!"

"When were you here last?"

"I- I think I was nineteen."

"Sonic, do you realize that was around ten years ago? It's impossible for you to save everyone. It's admirable that you want to, but you simply can't." Shadow knelt down beside him and hesitantly filed his fingers through the fur on the side of Sonic's head. "I know how you feel."

Sonic flinched under the intimate contact, but turned his head. He sniffed, tears still streaming down his face.

"We're going to catch him."

Sonic nodded and blinked back the tears. His legs shook as he stood.

"Sorry, Shads. I usually have better control than that."

"Don't apologize. We'll grab the Emerald and go."

Shadow paid no attention to his surroundings. Eyes forward, he stepped over various debris and made his way down the path the tracker set for him.

Sonic allowed himself to be led. He kept his eyes on the hand Shadow had latched to his wrist. Memories of Eggman presented themselves and he couldn't identify a single one that could've told him what was going on underground. As long as he'd known him, Sonic had never seen the doctor murder anyone. He wanted control, not blood.

Their path led them all the way down to the other end of the lab. Both of them held their noses at this point, unable to stand the pungent smell of rotting flesh. They hit a dead end. The tracker flashed at the blank wall.

"Dammit," Shadow said. He had to let go of his nose to look at the tracker's screen on his hip. "Is this stupid thing broken?"

Sonic stared at the wall. He slowly wriggled out of Shadow's grasp and walked forward to place his hands on the wall and feel around.

"... Sonic?"

Sonic ignored him. It was flat mostly, but as he felt around, his hands brushed across two small protruding circles. He pressed them simultaneously. Two of the metal plates in the wall expanded to reveal a secret doorway. Eggman had one of these hidden rooms in every one of his bases and he'd seen it opened dozens of times. Sonic smiled weakly, pleased with himself. It quickly disappeared, though, when he saw the inside. It was a small office area with all four walls covered in surveillance monitors.

"What the hell," Shadow said.

The footage on most of the screens was old and recorded. One showed Sonic relaxing on the beach with Tails, another showed Sonic playing with his niece in Tails' backyard, and even one of Shadow ordering his morning coffee at his favorite cafe. What irked them the most, though, was that there was one screen in the front that had Shadow catching Sonic after he used the spring to open the door not fifteen minutes ago.

Sonic was silent. He couldn't believe how detailed it was. Papers and papers of notes sat around the large desks with sketches and writings of each hedgehog. Both of them walked around the room slowly. There were documents stating their blood type, place of birth, back story. Everything. Shadow frowned when he found a small picture of Maria. He stuck it in his backpack.

They spent a while looking over the material scattered everywhere, growing more tense as time went on.

There was an office chair situated in front of the largest monitor. Shadow's tracker flashed faster the closer they got to it. Sonic reached it first to spin it around and a horrific heap fell to the floor at his feet. He began hyperventilating, the force of his breaths stinging his chest.

Shadow looked over quickly to see what the problem was, but didn't get to look for long before he had to catch Sonic before he hit the ground.

There was the chaos Emerald, but holding it tightly were the cold, dead hands of Dr. Robotnik.


	8. Chapter 7

Sonic stirred and stretched. His ear twitched as his mind started to pull from sleep. All too fast, his most recent memories flooded into his head. A broken sob escaped his lips as he shot up and looked around frantically.

"Hey, Sonic, calm down." Shadow rushed over and placed his hands on his shoulders.

Sonic clung to his arms shakily. "He's—... He's dead."

Shadow gently pushed him down. "You need to calm down."

"What are we gonna do? Why... why is this happening? I can't—" Sonic rambled. "Shadow, don't leave."

"I'm right here."

Shadow laid him back down in the bed while softly petting his ears and the jumbled words that streamed from him got quieter and quieter until he fell back to sleep.

Shadow sighed. He watched the rise and fall of Sonic's chest solemnly. That was the third time he'd woken up like that. Each time was more and more frightened and had more memories. He pulled the blanket back up over Sonic's shoulders to protect him from the soft breeze from the ceiling fan overhead. He hesitated, but leaned in to press a light kiss to his brow.

The door clicked softly behind him as he left the room. Down the stairs, Sonic's friends were waiting to hear whatever news he had of Sonic's condition.

Tails prepared tea in the kitchen with Cream while Knuckles and Amy sat in the living room conversing. They all looked at Shadow when they noticed his entrance to the room, but all sighed sadly when he shook his head.

"Just give him some time. It was a hard thing for him to handle," Tails said. "He's just gotta process it."

"How long will that take exactly? We've all heard the news and we're fine," Knuckles grumbled.

Irritation shot through Shadow's veins. "Sure, but his body didn't fall at your feet, did it? You were not there. Do not compare yourself to him."

Knuckles shrunk back.

Amy smiled at Shadow over her steaming cup of tea that Cream handed her. She sat comfortably in the corner of a white sofa.

Across the ocean on a different island, Amy had been relaxing peacefully on the beach when she heard on the news at a near by guava juice stand that Dr. Robotnik was found dead in his secret lair by a G.U.N agent and Sonic the Hedgehog. She immediately dialed Tails' phone and heard about Sonic's condition. Two hours later, Amy was on a plane back to Green Hill Zone. Her romantic feelings for Sonic were at null, but she still cared for him deeply. She would never forgive herself if anything serious happened and she hadn't tried to help to her best ability.

"Thank you for being here, Shadow. It means a lot. Especially to him, I'm sure," she said.

Shadow nodded. His stance by the living room entrance was rigid and restless. Anxious feelings pooled in the pit of his stomach after avoiding paparazzi, monitoring Sonic's condition and now standing in front of a group of people that Sonic cared about so much.

After finding Eggman, Shadow immediately called for backup. When the other agents arrived to take care of the situation and the body, he dashed off with Sonic tucked into his chest. Tails hadn't been happy when he arrived smelling of smoke and death, but his displeasure was ultimately drowned out by caring for Sonic. Shadow followed instructions to lay Sonic upstairs in his bed.

Tails ran a few tests. He determined that Sonic fainted due to hyperventilation. Shadow learned that Sonic suffered from severe anxiety. Tails wasn't too eager to share that with everyone without Sonic's consent, so he told the others he was just in shock. Which wasn't untrue.

"Of course. He is my partner now after all."

All eyes in the room were on him with glints of surprise and any movement ceased.

"So you're together?" Cream asked quickly with her fingers folded together underneath her chin.

Shadow rose a curious brow at all of them. "... Yes? We've been working together on this case for two days."

"No, Shadow, are you two together?" Tails emphasized the last word.

Shadow frowned, but shook his head softly. "Sonic and I are not involved romantically if that's what you're referring to." He refused to give off any kind of emotion towards the topic. It was none of their business.

A door opened up the stairs and continued the silence in the living room. They all watched the stairs as Sonic made his appearance. He had put his socks and gloves on before leaving his room, so it seemed like he was functioning decently. The way he walked down the stairs was slightly hesitant. He scanned all the people in the living room. Nobody said a word until he did.

"What's up?" He said softly. The smile on his face was awkward.

Everyone in the room laughed with relief and stood to take turns hugging Sonic.

"We were so scared," said Cream.

"Yeah, you've been out for a pretty long while, dude," Knuckles said while slinging an arm around him.

Sonic gave them all a confused look. "Have I really?"

"At least thirteen hours," Tails said.

Sonic's brow rose. "Wow, sorry, can't say I meant to hold things up." His eyes fell on a brightly smiling Amy. "It's been a while, Ames."

"Yeah, it has. I'm glad you're okay," she said. They hugged.

Sonic's heart swelled in the presence of his loved ones. It had been a very long time since they were all in the same room.

"Shadow brought you here after the incident in Scrap Brain. He's kept an eye on you twenty four-seven," Tails said.

His mood dampened slightly at the mention of his incident, but Sonic's eyes darted around trying to spot Shadow.

He was still standing at the edge of the living room quietly and nodded when their eyes met.

Sonic smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Shads."

"Don't mention it."

Sonic's heart filled with an irrational fondness for the other hedgehog and he hoped his cheeks weren't displaying how he felt inside.

"So, Sonic," Tails said. "How are you... feeling about everything?"

A grim look found its way to Sonic's face. He looked down at his socked feet. "It feels like a dream. What happened to the body?" His words came out heavily, as if it was extremely hard for him to speak.

"G.U.N. They aren't yet sure the cause of death, but he's been dead for more than four months," Shadow said.

Sonic wracked his brain for the last time he saw him alive. It had been around seven months. He didn't even remember what the scheme was, he just knew that's when he was around him last. It was hard for him to imagine him dying not long after.

Shadow watched Sonic's face go through a wide range of emotions. Confusion, disbelief, disgust— all in seconds. "We have three days until the Acorn wedding. Lying low is probably the best course of action at this point. There's no way those robots would be able to infiltrate the Acorn Kingdom. Knuckles hasn't had a chance to retrieve the last Emerald because he's been here, but he promised he would after he saw that you were okay. You should rest."

Sonic opened his mouth to object, but was cut off by Amy.

"Great. Tails, did you still want me to go on a grocery run?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, that would be awesome." Tails dashed to the kitchen to rip a page from the paper tablet magnetized to his fridge. He handed it to her. "Here's a list."

"Perfect. I'll be back!" she said, waving as she walked through the door.

"I should probably work on getting that Emerald," Knuckles said, following Amy.

"Good luck," Shadow said. He grabbed Knuckles's arm before he walked out the door. "I really appreciate you doing this."

"Of course. It's what friends do. Any friend of Sonic's is a friend of mine."

Sonic smiled, overhearing the conversation.

After the two left, Cream announced she was going downstairs to do laundry. Tails seized his chance to speak to Sonic personally. Well, as personally as he could with Shadow in the room.

"You need to get better about taking care of yourself," he said, letting his irritation be known. "Have you been taking your medication?"

Sonic gave an alarmed side glance at Shadow.

Tails rolled his eyes. "I told him. It's nothing to be ashamed of, you just need to stay on top of it. You always stop taking it when you feel better, but that's not how it works."

"I know, I know—"

"I wish you would take this seriously. You have to be careful."

"Sorry, I am serious," Sonic said. "I'll do what you say lil bro."

Tails gave him an unconvinced look.

"Promise! Honestly, Tails, you don't have to hover over me like this."

Tails opened his mouth, but closed it when he found nothing to say. His eyes gleamed with sadness.

"Hey, Tails," Shadow said to try and change the tense subject. "You want to show him what you're making?" He nodded suggestively in the direction of the workshop.

"Oh! I actually finished that this morning. It wasn't a difficult project," Tails said. "I'll go get it."

"What's going on?" Sonic asked.

Shadow smiled and held up a finger. Tails came back into the room with a lanky metal contraption. It glowed blue in every crevice, giving it a very alien look. He brought it to Sonic and tried to hand it over.

"... What the heck is that?"

"It's a new knee brace. Try it on." Tails inched the device closer.

"Tails, we've talked about this..."

"Just put it on."

Sonic begrudgingly took it from his hands and looked over it closely. It was definitely higher tech than the last couple braces he'd tried. It slipped over his leg nicely, latched on, and then disappeared.

Sonic stared at his leg. "Oh Chaos, it's not—"

"It is!" Tails said. "Shadow told me your knee was bothering you again, you know, like you're supposed to do, and I told him you hated looking like an old man with a brace on. He suggested I make an invisible one. So simple! I didn't even think of it."

Sonic's smiled stretched across his face. He put his foot down, put weight on it and felt his heart leap with happiness. No pain. It felt like he was walking on a cloud. In a flash, he was out the front door, around the house three times and back to give his brother a fierce hug.

"Chaos, you're amazing. Thank you so, so much. I love you and I love not looking like an old man."

Tails laughed. "You're welcome, Sonic. But don't just thank me. It was his idea to make it invisible."

Sonic pulled away and dashed to where Shadow was sitting. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a brief hug before collapsing onto the couch next to him.

"I am so glad you hit me with your bike."

Shadow chuckled. "Are you? I could do it again if you'd like."

"Okay, maybe not that part, but I'm happy that I'm getting to know you. I really love that. I always knew you were a sweet guy. You know, deep down."

Shadow laughed. "Was I really the much of an asshole?"

Sonic playfully glared at him. "Shadow, you have no idea how much of a stick in the mud you were."

"Oh really? Is that why you always followed me around like a kitten?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."  
}|?AZSonic crossed his legs in an almost teasing manner.

"Let me take you out tonight," Shadow said. He noticed how nervous and sudden it sounded, so he tried to recover. "I know a great restaurant near my apartment that makes some good chili dogs. I just figured after all this commotion you could use a night out. With me. Maybe."

Sonic froze, his bouncing foot stopping in its tracks. Under Shadow's hopeful gaze, his chest ached with dread.

"Sonic...? Are you okay?" Shadow asked. The growing look of panic in Sonic's eyes was concerning. He leaned forward and gently placed a hand on his knee. It jerked away from his touch.

"Oh, um, sorry, I just—" He breathed deeply. "Sure, that sounds fun. Dudes night out."

Shadow's shoulders slumped a bit. "Yeah... dudes night out." He couldn't help but feel embarrassed with himself. "I'll... I'm going back to my apartment for a while to freshen up. I'll be back at six."

Sonic laughed nervously. "I'll be here."

"Get some rest, yeah?"

"Sure thing."

When the door shut behind Shadow, Sonic was finally able to catch his breath. Thoughts ran through his head a mile a minute. He held his chin in his hands and leaned over his knees.

Tails came back up from the basement where he'd snuck off to help Cream with some laundry while Sonic and Shadow talked. "Hey, you alright, Sonic? Where'd Shadow go?

"I'm fine. Shadow went home for a bit," Sonic said. "Um... Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Tails sat next to him on the couch. "What's up?"

"I think Shadow likes me."

"That's good. I'm glad you guys are getting along."

"No, I mean I think he likes me likes me."

"You think so?" Tails said. He had his own suspicions, but he didn't think the hints were strong enough for Sonic to pick up on.

"Yeah. But that's crazy, right? Shadow? Liking me?" His lips sputtered.

"I don't know. I've noticed some things, too."

"I can't help but get the feeling that he's been flirting with me. Like, hardcore. Do you think that's possible?"

"The poor guy spent thirteen hours next to you while you were unconscious, Sonic. He rocked you back to sleep every time you woke up in a panic."

Sonic groaned and buried his face into his knees. "It's so apparent that even Knuckles and Jules noticed and teased me. I've been trying to play it off or even play along, but it's starting to get to me, Tails. I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of stuff."

"Why not?"

"I…" he paused, unable to come up with an excuse. "I don't know. I just… whenever I'm around him and he says nice stuff and looks at me funny, I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"Well, that just sounds like your anxiety combined with attraction."

Sonic blushed. "I am attracted to him, but it's one thing for me to admire his… body. It's a whole other thing when there's a chance I might actually be able to… have romantic feelings for him."

"Then just see what happens."

Sonic looked at him, a crease in his brow.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Tails leaned closer to put a hand on his shoulder. "But one rejection shouldn't decide the rest of your life."

Giving up romance was so much easier when he had more distractions and no interests. He thought that maybe if he just concentrated on his hero work and his friends, his life would fall into place for him. It never occurred to him that Eggman would end up dead and his friends would start lives of their own. Maybe it was time to pull out of his comfort zone.

Sonic sat impatiently in the living room waiting for Shadow's arrival. His leg bounced anxiously. Though before he was trying to convince himself that it wasn't a date, he thought that was what Shadow had intended when he asked the question. When he'd woken up a few hours ago from his nap, he made sure to take a dose of his medication so that he wouldn't want to vomit if Shadow ended up flirting again.

A loud knock shot through the silence of the living room where he sat alone. His heart nearly jumped through is throat, but he swallowed hard and opened the door.

"Hey," Shadow said.

He hadn't done anything special with his appearance and it did wonders for Sonic's nerves because his own appearance was obviously lacking, too. Annoyingly enough, his heart still did cartwheels.

"Hey."

Shadow smiled softly. He felt that he had come on to Sonic a bit too strong earlier, so he planned on cooling it down with the advances. While he was getting ready, he had spent quite a bit longer than he would like to admit talking to himself in the mirror to calm his nerves. After so long of watching Sonic from the sidelines, it was hard for him to not jump the guy every time he did something cute. He was honestly just so happy to be in his company again.

Their ride into the city was uneventful. Therapeutic at best. The trees flashed by in the opposite direction, creating a sheet of green on either side. Sonic was a bit more conscious of how he touched Shadow, keeping his hands loose on his shoulders.

Station Square bustled with life. He watched all the faces go by as Shadow weaved their way down the busy streets. The sky could barely be seen above the tall skyscrapers, but it was getting dark.

Shadow pulled into a very small parking lot and cut the engine. For a moment, he sat still and felt the energy from Sonic's body meld with his own.

"Shads?"

Shadow hummed.

"It smells amazing around here."

"Wait till you taste the food."

Sonic watched him slide off the motorbike gracefully. He had a thought come to his mind, and before he could stop himself, he blurted it out. "You look really good."

Shadow was surprised at the compliment, but even more so at the timidity it was spoken with. "I... don't look much different than I usually do."

Sonic blushed and climbed off the bike. "Uh… yeah." He stood in front of him awkwardly before rushing past him. "Let's eat, I'm starving."

The restaurant Shadow brought them to was a bar and grill. He and Rouge frequented the place. It was small, but not crowded. Even with the hordes of people that went in and out daily, it always felt like there was enough elbow room. Rouge had picked up many guys there and more than once Shadow had to walk home alone. He didn't mind it; that was just Rouge. They always had a good laugh about it the next day.

They were taken to a booth where they sat across from each other. After their waitress took their drink orders, Shadow immediately spun his menu and pointed at something to show Sonic.

"This is what I was talking about. Looks good right?" Shadow asked.

Sonic studied the detailed picture and description of his favorite food. It looked amazing. He looked to the side bashfully and rolled a fork between his fingers. "I didn't think you ever paid attention to my favorite foods."

Shadow sat back in his seat nonchalantly and looked through the menu for something he himself might like. "Observation. Comes with agent territory." Over his menu, he noticed Sonic deflate a bit.

Sonic tried to wait patiently for Shadow to finish selecting his meal, but after about thirty seconds, he grew bored. Looking around, he noticed that a child who had been at the table across from them previously left his crayons and paper sitting on the surface provocatively. He glanced both ways down the aisle before zipping over and snatching them up unnoticed. He started scribbling on the blank sheet of paper.

Shadow set his menu down. crossed his arms and eyed Sonic's scribbles. "What... are you doing?"

Sonic glanced up at him. "Drawing?" He said like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"How old are you?" Shadow said playfully.

"You never ask a hedgehog how old they are, Shads, and last time I checked, creativity has no age restrictions."

"Hypocrite. You just asked how old I was the other day."

Sonic rolled his eyes, smiled at his page when he finished and turned it around for Shadow to look at.

Shadow smirked. It was a crudely drawn picture of Sonic and himself standing in a pile of green scribbles that he assumed was grass. "You didn't even finish it."

Sonic rose a brow at him and watched as he grabbed a red crayon and drew angry eyebrows on himself. He burst into laughter.

After their meal and about an hour of jokes and conversation, they exited the restaurant with slightly rounder stomachs. Sonic was very pleased with himself. He was able to calm down into his normal self and even felt that he shared some pretty solid jokes.

"Thanks for dinner, Shads. That place is great," Sonic said, holding back a belch.

Shadow hummed in agreement. "Do you want to walk down Station Square? The winter lights should be up by now."

"Some walking would definitely be good for my food baby." He laughed and patted his stomach.

The lights played beautifully with the moonlight and reflected in Sonic's eyes as he stared up at them in awe. It was outstandingly crowded, but at least it provided some warmth. As they walked around, every once in a while Sonic would take a peek at Shadow. He really was attractive. For maybe the hundredth time in his life, he had the urge to reach his hand out and run it through the puffy fur on his chest. But this time, it left a knot in his throat to think about.

"I think you have a bit of a staring problem," Shadow said.

Sonic blinked. He wasn't being as sneaky as he thought. "Uh, what? Mm, no, I don't think so. You've just got a bit of food on your cheek."

Shadow rolled his eyes, but peeked into the closest window display of a retail store to brush a hand across his face anyway.

"Shadow! Darling?" A voice to the side caught his attention.

Rouge was jogging towards them in her old pink and black jumpsuit. Shadow rose a brow and was about to comment on the blast from the past, but she plowed right into him, pouring herself into his arms.

"Rouge, what the—" He was cut off by her thick lips practically engulfing his own. Eyes widened, he froze in place.

With her hands cupping his cheeks, Rouge devoured him distastefully all while keeping a slitted eye on Sonic. She made sure to run her hands all over and press her breasts into his chest, taking advantage of his stunned disposition. When she finally pulled off of him, Sonic was beet red, ears pinned to his head.

"I missed you last night, dear. Try not to be too long this time." She winked and ran her thumb across his pink stained lips before abruptly flying off.

It was deathly silent between the two hedgehogs. Shadow slowly wiped his mouth. Sonic breathed evenly to calm him heart.

"I… Sonic—"

Sonic laughed awkwardly. "You know, I wouldn't have judged you for being into her. She is pretty hot and all."

"But I'm not into her like that at all. I have no idea what that was about."

"Really, Shads, you don't have to hide anything from me." His head was starting to spin a bit.

"But—"

"Let's just go home. I'm not feeling top notch at the moment."

Shadow didn't know what to say. His mind was jumbled in a way that his teenage mind would have been. The sudden urge to ditch Sonic there to find Rouge and give her what for creeped up, but he swallowed it down in favor of agreeing with Sonic's wish to go home.

As soon as they pulled up, Sonic made a beeline for the front door. He hadn't even held on to Shadow during the ride.

"Thank you for dinner, Shadow, but this is probably where we should part ways. I'm sure you have some business to attend to. I'll see you tomorrow." The words were rushed and on the edge of cracking.

Shadow raced up behind him and tried to reach out to him. "Okay, um, we should probably head to Mobotropolis in the morning." Sonic shrugged him off.

"Alright, sounds great. Goodnight." Sonic shut the door in his face, eager to disconnect from that burning gaze.

Shadow stood there for a moment and stared. Confusion and anger hazed his mind as he turned and stormed off.

Sonic leaned against the door until he heard the engine of Shadow's motorcycle fade out in the distance. He breathed a bit heavily as his fists clenched and unclenched. The living room around him was dark. Everyone had gone to bed already.

"Chaos. I'm such an idiot," he muttered, placing a hand on his chest to feel its rapid beating. "Why would he like me…"


	9. Chapter 8

Shadow's bike skid up to the club and he stomped inside. The poor kid behind the counter cowered a bit when he approached him.

"Where is Rouge?"

"Sh-She's upstairs."

He stalked his way up to the second floor where he found her in a private room conversing with several people. From the arm of a charming man, she smiled up at him when he came through the door, but it immediately disappeared when he started shooing everyone from the room. His voice meant business and no one was willing to challenge it. The man that Rouge had previously been clinging to was taking his time walking out the door. Shadow kicked him in the butt and slammed the door as soon as he passed the frame.

"What the hell, Shadow, I was about to score for tonight."

"Oh yeah? I thought you were waiting for me."

"… Excuse me?"

"Don't play games with me, Rouge. You just crossed a line I didn't even think you'd ever approach. You probably just ruined any chance I may have had with Sonic." He paced back and forth in front of her, blocking the door in case she tried to make a run for it.

"Please do tell me what you're referring to. Because you're kind of starting to piss me off."

Shadow growled. "Oh? You're getting pissed? You don't think I was a little angry when you thought to mosey on up to Sonic and I and proceeded to rub your grubby little hands all over me."

"Whoa, okay, that— Never in my life have I ever moseyed."

"I can't fucking believe you!"

"Shadow! Calm the fuck down and look at me." Rouge's booming voice stopped him in his tracks. She stood in front of him and tried to reach out to touch his shoulder, but he flinched back. "I. Have no idea. What you're talking about." She held his gaze and spoke slowly.

Shadow finally calmed down enough to take a look at her. She wasn't wearing the suit she was earlier, but an elegant golden evening gown. Even her presence felt more familiar. Suddenly, it clicked. "That wasn't you..."

"No shit. Glad to see that Shadow is back, now, what the hell is going on?"

Shadow took a few minutes to explain to her what had happened with Sonic. She laughed.

"Shadow, you really think I would do something like that?"

"Um. Right. I guess I was just... so angry that I didn't really think about it. They were even wearing your old latex outfit."

Rouge cringed. "I haven't seen that thing in years."

"I should have known that. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Rouge waved a dismissive hand at him. "Oh, it's okay, love. We've straightened it out. Not like it's the first time you've accused me of something stupid."

Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Um… are my hands really grubby?" She asked.

Before Shadow could answer, a scream came from downstairs and Rouge was immediately out the door. Shadow followed her down the stairs. He almost ran into her when she froze on the bottom step.

"Who the hell are you?"

He leaned over her shoulder to see the same Rouge imposter from earlier. It held two handguns; one pointed off in a random direction in the club and one positioned between Rouge's eyes.

"Well, I'm you, darling," it cooed. Its heels clacked as it crept closer. "I've just come to retrieve you. So, if you'd just step over here like a good girl, this won't have to be too messy."

Rouge stepped forward confidently, shoulders pulled back and teeth bared. "I'm afraid we don't have much time for games, darling. Who are you working for?"

It winked at her. "Someone special."

"The only special someone in my life is standing right behind me. Try again."

The imposter cackled and took another step towards her, lowering its gun in favor of staring her down. "Don't worry, I'll take special care of him, too."

"Enough of this," Shadow whispered to her. "Let me smash its face in."

Rouge ignored him and puffed her chest out, standing almost toe to toe with herself. Her wings spanned threateningly across her shoulders. A crowd had developed around them, but no one dared to get too close. The room held its breath.

"You can either come with me now, or I'll rip you from jail later. Either way, you're mine."

"In your dreams, hag. Why don't you tell whoever the hell created you that jumpsuit is so fifteen years ago."

"I always thought it looked quite charming on you." It smirked and closed its eyes for a moment. "You're making this quite the irritating task." When it opened them again, they were glowing a brilliant blood red. "You always did like it messy, didn't you?"

Rouge froze under the scorching gaze. It felt as though the very force that kept her alive was being sucked straight from her body.

"Rouge!"

Shadow jumped in and knocked the robot to the ground, pulling Rouge out of its mental grasp. She breathed deeply and clung to Shadow's arms. He placed a hand on her cheek and looked into her hazy eyes. They were returning to their normal shade.

"Ugh, I guess I'm going to have to deal with you first, huh?" The imposter picked itself off the ground unsteadily. Its eyes darted around the floor.

"Looking for these?" Shadow had both guns pointed at it. He stomped closer and it cowered back a bit, but managed to keep an arrogant look. He asked it again, "Who are you working for?"

"Now, why would I tell you that?" It muttered in a sultry voice that didn't belong to it.

"Because I'll blow your circuits out if you don't."

"Ha, you think that little thing could do any damage to me? That's the funniest thing I think you've ever said."

"You don't know me," Shadow growled.

"You don't know me, dear."

Fed up with the back and forth, Shadow dropped one of the guns. Power poured through his veins as he channeled his chaos energy into his fist and shot it forward with a grunt, "Chaos Spear."

Rather than the hard clang of metal he was expecting, the spear shot silently through its chest and into the wall behind it. It hadn't even tried to move. Blood started dripping from the wound and its mouth. It smiled at him as a thin trail of crimson leaked from its chin.

"Maybe you should have gotten to know me a little better before shooting me down like that."

Shadow's mouth went dry as he stared into its turquoise eyes. The body fell to a heap on the floor. The room continued to vibrate with silence, but this time because everyone who had been observing had fled the scene as soon as Shadow's spear had hit the wall.

"Shadow?" Rouge slowly approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Shadow inhaled deeply and let it out with a nod. She smiled at him softly.

"Rouge the Bat."

They both jolted in the direction of the voice. Two G.U.N. soldiers stood in the doorway flashing their badges.

"You're under arrest for theft of the first degree. We have video evidence of your crime executed at G.U.N. Headquarters earlier today," the first soldier continued to babble off her rights as the second approached her with a pair of handcuffs.

Rouge took a step back. "What the hell is going on today!"

Shadow jumped in front of her to block the man from grabbing her.

"I suggest you don't resist. Shadow the Hedgehog, you are a highly respected individual in our facility, but you will be arrested also if you continue to aid the perpetrator."

"She didn't do anything. It was that—" he pointed to where the body was, except it was no longer there. No body. No blood. Nothing.

Both of the soldiers gave him unamused expressions.

"Shit."

They were both starting to close in on them, backing them into a corner. Shadow sighed and grabbed ahold of Rouge. He pulled out the Chaos Emerald he and Sonic had retrieved in Spring Yard.

"Chaos Control!"

Sonic laid in his bed and stared up at the ceiling he couldn't actually see. His room was pitch black save for a sliver of moonlight that leaked between his curtains. Everything and nothing was bouncing around in his head and he couldn't get to sleep. Persistent flashes of Rouge's hands all over Shadow plagued his mind. The way her breasts perched up on his chest, almost tainting that beautiful patch of fur for him. He felt his body heat up. The embarrassment of having to witness that was enough, but it was ten times worse when he couldn't stop thinking about how much he wanted to be in her place.

Caught up with these thoughts, his hands started to wander. He trailed the claws of his left hand down his chest while the other caressed his hip bone. He bit his bottom lip and let out a deep sigh. Black fur and ruby eyes charged his actions and it was too much to stop himself. Fingers made their way between his thighs and applied gentle pressure.

"Hn—" he gasped, but it was choked on as he heard a clank from his window. He froze. It was quiet for a while, but just as he was about to continue, he heard it again along with a harsh whisper of his name. Sitting up quickly on his bed, he patted down his frayed quills and excited fur to make his way over to his window and pull his curtains aside.

Down below, he saw Rouge and Shadow standing with rocks in their hands. Rouge dropped hers to wave at him. Sonic groaned, pulled open his window and leaned out.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Shadow smiled sheepishly. "Sorry to wake you, but we've had quite the interesting night—"

"Are you serious? You came to tell me that— what are you doing?"

Shadow dropped his rocks and crouched low before launching himself up to Sonic's window. Sonic flinched back as he crawled into his room.

"Shadow, we have a front door."

"I realize that, but I didn't want to bang on it and wake everyone up."

Sonic's deadpan look would have made Shadow laugh if he wasn't so stressed out. Rouge hovered just outside the window, wings flapping silently.

"Knock knock," she whispered before letting herself in. Her entrance was much more graceful than Shadow's.

Sonic held the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Even though they couldn't have known what he'd been up to in his warm, cocoon-like bed, he still felt a bit exposed. "Could someone please tell me what's going on."

"Someone's become a bit too obsessed with me I think. Wouldn't be the first time," Rouge said. She laughed, but her eyes conveyed a much more disturbed emotion.

Sonic looked to Shadow for an explanation.

"The things we thought were robots are not at all. Honestly, I have no idea what they are. We encountered one at the club that was designed to look exactly like Rouge. It actually approached us earlier in the night...— I... I'm sure you remember." Shadow's voice wavered a bit. He couldn't look Sonic in the eyes.

A weight lifted off Sonic's chest. "That wasn't really Rouge?"

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Seriously you guys? Why the hell would I do something like that?" She walked over to Shadow and put an arm around his shoulders. "Shadow is sexy as hell, but he's always just been my wing man."

"Oh," Sonic muttered.

Shadow brushed her arm off of him. "Anyway, we were wondering if we could stay here for the night. The imposter must have stolen something at the G.U.N. Headquarters because they're out for Rouge's arrest. And now mine because I helped her escape. I can guarantee our apartments are surrounded. I'll straighten everything out with the Commander in the morning."

Sonic winced. "Wow, guys. It has been a long night, huh?" He walked over to his bed and started clearing the blankets from it. He laid them on the floor for himself to sleep on. "You'll just have to deal with my room because Amy has the spare at the moment. Rouge, you can sleep on my bed. I'll get some other sheets and blankets. Shadow and I can camp out on the floor."

Rouge chuckled. "Oh, such a gentleman."

Sonic winked at her with a playful smile. "I'll get you something to sleep in, too."

When Sonic left the room, Rouge turned to Shadow and grabbed onto his arm. "Shadow, he's so into you."

Shadow squinted his eyes at her. "What are you talking about."

She rolled her eyes."Did you see the look on his face when we told him that it wasn't really me that felt you up? He got really quiet."

"You read into things way too much."

She began to pull the straps of her dress over her shoulders. "I'm telling you, hon, you've gotta snatch that up." She was able to get the dress below her breasts, but couldn't reach the back zipper. Turning her back to Shadow in a silent request, she continued. "I mean, the guy is hopeless in the romance department, he always has been, but you could totally pick up the slack for him."

Shadow sighed and tugged the zipper down her back. "I don't want to scare him away. He might be interested, but he's still iffy when it comes to that stuff."

"Alright, I've found some—" Sonic froze in the doorway. Rouge was stepping out of her dress as Shadow held it for her. Her thong was thin and her bra was laced. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment, but Shadow was standing there like absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Oh, that's good, dear." Rouge grabbed the shirt that was on top of the pile Sonic was holding and threw it over her head. The bottom fell just below her butt. "Fits perfect."

Sonic looked between them for a beat before lowering his brow in defeat. "Okay."

"Still not able to sleep?"

Sonic flinched. He turned his head to the side and tried to see Shadow through the thick black. It had only been maybe an hour since they all laid down. "Um. What do you mean still?"

Shadow turned on his side and propped his head up on his hand. "I highly doubt we would have been able to wake you up like that if you'd been asleep."

"Oh." Sonic sighed. "Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"l did take a pretty nice nap earlier," he chuckled but it died down quickly. "Just… can't seem to turn my brain off."

"I don't blame you. A lot is happening."

Sonic scratched his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm... not really looking forward to going to Mobotropolis."

Shadow's ear perked. "No?"

He recalled the last time he talked to Shadow about Sally and decided not to mention it this time around. "Well, yes and no. It would be nice to see my old friends, but... it's been so long. What if they think I'm..."

"Different?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"They're going to be different, too, you know? Time effects everyone."

"Right... I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me, Shadow. Not even in the past couple of days, but... well, I know you've helped me several times over the years."

Shadow's heart nearly stopped. "What?"

"I know you used to follow Tails and I on adventures every once in a while. You really saved our butts a couple of times." Sonic laughed. "I'm not sure if Tails noticed, but I always did. I can... almost feel when you're around. I know, it sounds weird, b—"

"No, I get it. I feel the same thing."

They looked at each other in the dark. Sonic noticed how Shadow's eyes had a faint glow to them and it left him a bit breathless.

Shadow cleared his throat. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Sonic smiled.

"You're this planet's hero and it's my promise to Maria to protect this planet. That means protecting you." He tried to make it sound sincere, but it came out much more bland than he meant it.

His smile faltered. "Oh..."

An awkward silence ensued.

Shadow sighed. "Well, I guess we should get some sleep."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Shadow."

"Goodnight."

In the bed a few feet away, Rouge rolled her eyes. Her mind had been changed. It wasn't just Sonic that was hopeless with romance.

For the first time in a while, it wasn't the sun that woke Sonic up in the morning but little hands patting his chest. He cracked an eye open to see the eager, happy face of Lara-Su. He smiled and hooked an arm around her, pulling her on top of him.

"Lara-Su, what in the world are you doing here?" He sleepily nuzzled into her stomach and she laughed.

"Mama is looking for Pa." She sat up on his stomach and looked at him with sad eyes. "Is Pa okay?"

Sonic frowned. "What do you mean? Your Pa should be home by now. He went on a little mission for me and Shadow."

"He didn't came home last night. Mama had to read my bedtime story."

Sonic laid a hand on her head and pet her ears back. "Aw, I'm sure he's fine, little gal. He gets caught up sometimes."

Lara-Su nodded like she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Sonic looked around the room, but didn't see anyone else. He sat up on the floor and set Lara-Su on her feet next to him. "Do you know where everyone is?"

"Um... Uncle Tails is making breakfast. Mama and the pretty lady are talking. The angry man has been on the phone."

Sonic laughed. "Could you show me?"

"Uh huh."

Sonic followed the little girl down the stairs and into the kitchen. The exact scene Lara had described was happening right in front of him. Shadow nodded to him, still on the phone. He said something unintelligible as he walked away, knowing full well it was about to get loud with Sonic in the room.

"He emerges!" Rouge said.

Julie-Su and Tails looked over and wished him a good morning.

"He's a sleepy guy," Lara-Su said while affectionately patting Sonic's leg.

Laughter bubbling in his chest, Sonic picked her up and placed her in his lap as he sat in a chair next to Julie-Su. She pulled over the paper and crayons she had been using while sitting in her mother's lap earlier.

"What's up, Jules? Knuckles bail on ya last night?" Sonic said.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Last time we saw him, he was going to retrieve an Emerald for us. He didn't tell you?"

Julie shook her head, gaze far away. "No. And that's odd. He usually tells me what he's doing. Angel Island has already made its decent. He never lets that happen..."

"I'm sure he's fine," Rouge waved her hand dismissively. "He's a tough guy." She elbowed Julie in the side playfully. "You should know that better than anyone."

Julie-Su laughed and lightly pushed her shoulder.

Sonic watched them, brow furrowed. "I thought you guys were like... mortal enemies or something."

"That was until I found out she's no longer out to steal my man," Julie gave Rouge a smirk.

Rouge's face heated up. "Oh, please spare me. I don't need to be reminded of my teenage antics. It's bad enough that I've recently had to see my past fashion choices."

Tails set a plate of food beside Lara's art for Sonic who began to hungrily devoured it. "I still can't believe that guy had girls fighting over him."

"I know!" Sonic groaned. "Where the heck is my fan base?"

"You mean the millions of people who look up to you and buy T-shirts with your name and picture on them?" Rouge mumbled.

Shadow finally walked back into the room with an irritated sigh.

"What's up, mopey?" Sonic said, finishing his plate.

Shadow heavily leaned against the counter by Tails. "The Rouge imposter stole the Chaos Emeralds. We are now back to square one."

Sonic stared up at him with his mouth hung open and a piece of egg hanging off the side of it. "Please say sike."

"The good news is that I got the Commander to call off the arrest for Rouge. I explained the misunderstanding."

Rouge leaned back in her chair. "Thank Chaos."

Shadow closed his eyes and laid a hand on his cheek. "We've gotta get going as soon as possible, though. At this point in time, every single Emerald except for the one I currently possess is in Mobotropolis... including the Master."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What?"

"There's no way. Where's Knuckles?"

"I assume Knuckles is wherever the Master Emerald is," Shadow said. "He apparently was able to retrieve the Emerald we requested, but was stopped by someone and taken. This mission is getting to be much more serious than we originally thought." He connected eyes with the child that was sitting in Sonic's lap and looking up at him with big eyes. His mouth hung open for a minute before he looked away and said, "I'm sure he'll be fine. We just need to get there."

"Alright, let's get going then!" Sonic said to try and hype himself up. He stood and placed Lara on his seat.

"We have to be careful not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Barging in there would do us no good."

"Alrighty, Shads, I hear ya loud and clear." Sonic noticed how distant Julie-Su looked. "You alright, dude?"

She took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine... I was just thinking that I should get back home. Just in case..." She trailed off, but Sonic knew what she was trying to say.

Rouge hesitantly touched a hand to her shoulder. "Hon, I could come with you? To help out, I mean. I don't think it'd be a good idea to go back alone. Especially with the island lowered."

Julie sighed and placed a hand on top of hers. "Thank you, Rouge. I really appreciate it. It's a shame we couldn't have been friends before now."

The kitchen door flew open and scared everyone in the room. Amy and Cream walking with several bags in tow.

"Were back!" Amy said.

Shadow walked over to them and took a few. "It wasn't took much trouble, was it?"

"Oh, Mister Shadow, it was no trouble at all. In fact, we had quite a bit of fun," Cream said.

Sonic circled around them. "What did you guys get?"

Amy pulled the bags back from his prying eyes and passed the rest to Shadow. "You'll find out soon." She winked at him.

"I hate it when you wink at me," Sonic mumbled.

Shadow nodded his head in the direction he wanted Sonic to follow. Rouge caught his eye before he left the room. She made a jerking motion down her arm like she was ripping off a bandage. He sighed.

"What are we doing?" Sonic asked.

They walked into Sonic's room and shut the door behind them.

"Take off your gloves and shoes," he muttered while unwrapping something from a bag.

Sonic's hands began to sweat. "Um, excuse me?"

"I said take off your clothing. You don't need to be embarrassed. You know, the whole time you were unconscious, you didn't have anything on." Shadow resisted the urge to smirk as he walked over and placed something into Sonic's hands.

Sonic rolled his eyes and held the garment up to view. It was a suit. His ears fell back. "Are you serious?"

Shadow placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, I am. There's no way in hell you're going like that."

Sonic looked down at himself. Admittedly, he was looking a bit worn out.

The lights in the bathroom clicked on as Shadow walked in and searched the drawers for a brush. When he found one, he held it up to Sonic. "May I?"

Sonic looked between the brush and the gentle expression on Shadow's face. He didn't trust his voice, so he simply nodded. As Shadow worked through his fur, he tried to calm his stuttering heart. But it only got worse when Shadow started to peel his gloves off.

"U-uh. Shadow?" Sonic asked after taking a deep breath.

"Yes," he said as he circled to Sonic's back. "Please relax, I'm almost done."

"Oh." He took another deep breath and willed his quills to fall flat on his back. He tried to think of something other than how nervous he was. "I just… I'm sorry for being a jerk yesterday."

"That's alright. I wasn't very happy either."

"You weren't?"

Shadow chuckled. "She's my best friend. Almost my sister. Of course I would be upset." He stood aside as Sonic kicked his shoes off and pulled on a pair of black trousers.

Sonic hopped on one leg as he tried to get the other one in the hole. He hadn't meant sorry for a specific event, but decided to go with it. "Oh. Well, that makes sense."

Shadow grit his teeth and looked out the window. "And… I didn't like you having to see that."

"No? I'm not a prude, Shadow. I've had my fair share of adventures, if you know what I mean." He winked before glaring down at the buttons on his shirt that were giving him a hard time.

Shadow sighed, walking over to swat Sonic's hands out of the way so he could assist him. "I know what you mean, but that's not what I mean."

Sonic tried to catch his gaze, but it was fixed on his shirt. "What do you mean then?"

"I-I," he mentally cursed at himself for stuttering. He swallowed and tried again. "I mean, I don't want you getting the wrong idea about me."

When Shadow finished the buttons, he helped Sonic put on his waistcoat, straightening the collar and, again, fastening more buttons. Sonic stood still, but the thoughts in his mind were anything but.

"Okay…?" He said in an effort to get Shadow to continue.

Shadow mentally prepared what he was trying to say. Now was as good a time as any. He stood toe to toe with Sonic who was looking at him expectantly. When he finally met his gaze, his confidence wavered a little, but he swallowed. "I didn't want you to think that I don't like you."

Sonic laughed breathlessly. "You don't have to worry about that. The fact that you give me the time of day now is enough—"

"No." Shadow's shaky hand gently took Sonic's. "I'm sick of beating around the bush."

Sonic's ears twitched and stood forward. His chest was practically rumbling, threatening to give him lightheadedness. He knew what Shadow was getting at, but he really wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it. His attention was ultra focused on everything that Shadow said. Every time he took a breath, it was difficult to exhale all the way. He opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped by Shadow's hand on his chest.

"Calm down. I'm just going to talk. You don't have to say anything. I know you have a lot of anxiety centered around this stuff. And I know we've only gotten to really know each other in the past few days, but it's already driving me nuts being around you. Do you remember last night when you said you could feel when I'm around?"

Sonic nodded.

Shadow took a shaky breath. "I can also feel not only that, but everything you're feeling right now. I don't know how it happens or why, but when I touch you, it's like I'm given access to your emotional wellbeing. And you're the only person I can do it to. Take a minute to try and sense me."

Sonic hesitantly put his hands on Shadow's shoulders. He hung there for a while, trying to do what Shadow asked. He dug in his mind until it was difficult to think about anything at all. That's when he started to feel things that seemed to belong to someone else. He could vividly feel how panicky Shadow was. He felt the longing and heartache and fear. When their eyes met, Sonic could feel some of his own anxiety ease away.

"I first experienced it on accident when we were young. It was hardly a pat on the shoulder, but I could feel all of your radiant happiness within me. It made my burden light as air. At the same time, it made me angry that I couldn't have those feelings on my own. I started to develop... an attraction for you and that also pissed me off. So, there's your explanation for how long I avoided you." Shadow paused, unsure how to continue. "These last few times I've felt you, even if you're smiling, you're —"

Sonic's gleaming eyes blinked slowly at him. When a tear threatened to drop, Shadow rushed a hand up to cup his cheek and smeared it away with his thumb.

"Why are you in so much pain?"

Sonic's body shook as he tried to keep more tears from falling.

"Stop holding it in."

Like a dam breaking, tears started to flood down Sonic's cheeks. He jerked forward and wrapped his arms around Shadow. The only sound in the room for a while was Sonic's sniffling. As he stood there in Shadow's arms it felt as though the pain was seeping out of him. A glimmer of true content began surfacing itself in the pit of his stomach. He wanted more. He wanted it to come faster. Before his mind could even process what was happening, Shadow was pressed into the wall. His hands tugged his waist forward as his lips ran over Shadow's hungrily.

Shadow was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer force and desperation, but at the same time it felt as though a hole in his chest was finally being filled to the brim. His tongue lapped at Sonic's messily as he tried to catch up. His mind hazed over when Sonic trailed his hands down his back and tugged on his tail. Back arching off the wall, he gasped.

Sonic acted on pure impulse. It was the feeling of completeness. As he ran his claws up Shadow's chest, he could feel nothing but primitive desire. He was drugged on everything that was Shadow. Everywhere he touched left a trail of standing black hairs that felt incredibly soft in his ungloved hands and he wanted to know what every part of his body felt like. When Shadow threw a leg behind his hip, he lifted him and pressed his whole body against him. A fire lit in his gut like nothing he'd ever felt before.

Shadow whimpered softly as Sonic rutted him against the wall with a firm grip on his thighs. His quills splayed out against the wall and were starting to scratch away paint. It was so much and not enough at once. He threaded his fingers through Sonic's quills, throwing him off for a moment before he dove back in with even more excitement. When teeth found their way to his neck, Shadow could hardly breath. His mind flashed to how much he wanted to ease Sonic's ache. He had never let himself fully indulge in his feelings until recently. All of those rejected thoughts came crashing into him at once. He gasped and connected his forehead with Sonic's roughly. His hands gripped underneath his jaw.

"I love you so much," Shadow said through the air of a heavy exhale.

Those five words shattered through the thin wall in Sonic's mind and ice ran through his body. He couldn't move. The only motion in his blue body as it continued to hold Shadow in place was his chest quickly moving up and down as he breathed.

Shadow cringed. Apparently, he had gotten a bit ahead of himself. As soon as that last syllable had fallen from his lips, he could feel the dramatic shift in moods within Sonic.

"I…" Sonic finally muttered, "I'm sorry."

Just as fast as it began, it was over and Sonic retreated to the bathroom. He set his forehead on his cool bathroom counter, trying to calm down. He adjusted himself through the tight-fitting slacks.

Shadow continued to lean against the wall as he breathed deeply. "So much for leaving as soon as possible."


	10. Chapter 9

"Rouge," Shadow whispered through the doorway.

Rouge turned her head from the piece of art Lara-Su had made for her and looked in his direction. He made a beckoning motion with his finger, so she excused herself. Amy looked at them suspiciously, but for once in her life, decided to mind her own business.

"What's up, hon." She took in his crisp appearance and smiled. Shadow always had looked stunning in suits.

Shadow made sure the kitchen door was closed before he spoke. "I did it."

Rouge smiled. "Wait, seriously? Shit, how'd it go?" She pulled him over to a couch to sit on.

Shadow hesitated. "You know, I'm not completely sure."

Rouge rose a brow at him.

"Um, so... it got really emotional. I told him about the weird feeling stuff between us, like I told you about, and he seemed fine with that. I... dammit, Rouge, I accidentally told him that I love him."

"How do you accidentally tell someone that?"

A small hint of red spread over his cheeks. "We... well... I got a bit too into the _moment._ And I've never really been in such a heated situation like that—"

"Chaos, you guys got funky up there?" Rouge laughed and threw an arm over her eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Shadow sighed. "He locked himself in the bathroom. It's been a while. I don't know if I should talk to him or what, but we've really gotta get going."

Rouge set a hand on top of his and patted it affectionately. "I'll take care of it. Stay right here."

Shadow waited patiently on the couch. His ear perked when he heard the squeak of the kitchen door. Lara-Su was peeking out at him.

"I don't bite, you know," Shadow said. He tried to make his smile seem as welcoming as possible.

Apparently it worked because she came bouncing out from behind the door. "I sure hope you don't!" She climbed up and sat next to him. "I'm sorry I didn't make you a picture... I didn't know your name. I like to put names at the top so people don't forget which one is theirs."

"That's a perfectly reasonable explanation. My name is Shadow. But just know, I never would have forgotten which gorgeous piece belonged to me."

Lara-Su giggled. "Thank you." She kicked her feet back and forth, glancing up at Shadow periodically. "I like your jewelry," she said. Her hand laid on top of one of his inhibitor rings.

Shadow chuckled. "Thank you."

"Are you and Uncle Sonic best friends?"

"... I suppose you could say we're close. We've known each other for a very long time."

"Since before I was alive?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Way way before."

Lara looked down at her lap. "Wow. That sounds old."

"It's not that long. It goes by fast."

"I never wanna grow up..."

Shadow looked down at her. "Why not?"

"'Cause I'll be too heavy for Uncle Sonic to carry me on runs!"

The snort in Shadow's laughter was a rare occurrence.

When Rouge walked into the room, she noticed the bathroom door and knocked on it. "Sonic? It's time to leave, hon. What are you doing in there?"

"Ah, nothing—!"

Rouge smirked. "You better not be doing what I think you're doing."

Sonic fumbled with the doorknob before yanking it open. His face was beet red and he refused to meet her eyes. "Can you just help me out?"

Noticing the bundled mess of a tie around Sonic's neck, Rouge gently laughed and started to undo the tangles. "You could have asked Shadow, you know?"

Sonic's eyes drifted off to the side. "He already helped me with everything else. It's embarrassing."

"I don't think there's anything you could do to make Shadow like you less, dear."

Sonic opened his mouth, but closed it when he had nothing to say.

"You don't have to tell me any details, but just know that Shadow does have intense feelings for you." She finished knotting the tie, but yanked it a little too tight around his neck. "You better try your best not to hurt him."

Sonic gagged and started to pull the tie into a more comfortable position as Rouge walked away. She paused by the wall where there were scratch marks before laughing her way out the door.

Of course she knew. He couldn't expect anything different from Shadow, but it was still weird for people to know already. When Shadow had said that... everything within him had contorted almost painfully. The last time he heard that phrase used romantically, there was a but. He never could have imagined that Shadow was harboring feelings like that for all those years. Wondering what Shadow might have looked like after he had run off sent a pang through his chest.

While walking down the stairs, Sonic straightened out his vest and shirt. The living room was packed with everyone chitchatting. It seemed as though Rouge, Julie and Lara were on their way out.

"Lara-Su!" Sonic called out.

She looked at him from where she was perched on her mother's waist. He posed for her. An incredible smile spread across her face. "You're so handsome!"

Sonic laughed and walked over to her. "You're only just now figuring that out?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek wetly. "You and Mister Shadow match!"

Sonic looked over at Shadow who was pretending not to stare at him. He smiled sweetly at him and a light blush spread out across Shadow's cheeks. "Yeah, we do don't we?" He turned back to the girl and gave her a wet kiss, too. She giggled happily. "Now, you listen to your mother and Rouge, alright? Take care of them for me while I'm gone."

Lara-Su saluted before letting go of him and latching back onto her mother.

Rouge pulled Shadow off the couch and into a tight hug. "Be careful."

Shadow chuckled. "I always am, right?"

"I'm not talking about the mission. I know you can handle that."

He swallowed thickly. "Yeah, I got it."

After they left, Amy walked up to Sonic and leaned against him heavily. "Can I come with you guys?"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight. "That's up to Shadow, Ames. He's the captain."

She looked to Shadow and tried to pull off the best pouty face she could while scrunched into Sonic. "Please Shadow?"

Shadow looked as though he was genuinely considering it, but ultimately said, "I apologize Miss Rose, I'm not sure what I would have you doing."

Amy pulled away from Sonic and dropped into a fighting stance. "I can do lots!"

Tails and Cream were sitting off to the side trying to hide their laughs.

"I'm sure you can, but three is a crowd. I need you to stay here and hold down the fort."

Amy shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, alright, I can do that."

"Come on, Shads! We've gotta get going."

Shadow rolled his eyes and walked close enough for Sonic to throw an arm around his shoulders. He pulled out his Chaos Emerald and took one last look at everyone in the room.

"Hopefully by the time we return, things will be back to normal and we can stop worrying for the worst."

Tails nodded. "Good luck, guys. Be careful."

A brief light enveloped them and they were gone.

"This place is gorgeous," Rouge whispered to herself.

They were walking up to Julie-Su and Knuckles's cottage. Lara ran ahead of them and plopped down on a trike. Rouge stayed behind with her while Julie unlocked the door.

Hope blossomed in her heart when she heard the television playing, but nobody was sitting by it.

"Knuckles? Are you home?"

Julie tucked her head into the kitchen, but no one was there. Her brow furrowed. She turned around and ran straight into someone. Looking up in alarm, she tried to pull away until she saw her husband's face.

"Oh! Knuckles, you are back! What a relief. You really had me worried."

"Did I scare ya?" He laughed warmly.

"Just a bit." She went for a hug, but Knuckles caressed her cheek instead.

"That's good."

Julie searched his eyes. He was still smiling, but it wasn't right. The feeling of his hand on her cheek felt cold. She noticed too late that his eyes were slowly starting to glow.

Rouge and Lara-Su continued to play outside, but after Julie hadn't reappeared for a while, Rouge grew suspicious. Lara was sitting in the garden playing with her dolls.

"Lara, I'm going to be right back okay? You must be thirsty?"

"Yes ma'am!"

She gave a cautious side glance at the curtained window. "Alright."

Lara-Su set her dolls in a circle to prepare to be served beverages. Reminding them of their manners, she set her favorite doll, a little hedgehog plush that Sonic had gotten her when she was born, up straighter. She hummed to herself as she waited for their drinks.

When the gate clicked behind her, she looked back and smiled brightly.

"Pa!"

The room they appeared in was scarcely decorated. There was no furniture besides the stool in a far corner and the walls were bare. Sonic stepped down off the platform they had warped to and looked around.

"Where are we, Shads?"

Shadow pulled out a sleek phone and dialed a number. While it was dialing, he said to Sonic, "We're in the Acorn Palace. They have a room for me to use whenever I make an appearance over here."

Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but the person Shadow was calling picked up.

"Hey, it's me… Yeah… Okay, I'll be there," Shadow said before tucking the phone back into his pocket.

"Who was that?"

"Sally. We're going to meet her in a conference room down the hall."

Sonic's gut lurched aggressively. He supposed he would never be truly ready for this.

"You'll be alright. Don't think about it too much."

Putting on an appreciative smile, Sonic pulled Shadow off the platform and hugged him. A good chunk of his anxiety seeped away, but he could feel how hesitant Shadow was to return the hug.

"We're good, Shadow," Sonic said, trying to comfort him.

"…So you're okay? With how I feel about you, I mean?"

Sonic pulled away, but didn't answer right away. With his gaze stuck on Shadow's shoes, he muttered, "Did it feel like I was okay with it?"

He softly nodded his head.

Red dusted across Sonic's cheeks. "Alright. Then.. there's your answer. Let's go."

Shadow exhaled the air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A faint smile lifted his face.

It took them a minute to find the number for the room Sally was in. Shadow knocked on the door three times and almost immediately a female voice rang out from inside.

"Come in!"

Shadow gently turned the knob and pushed the door open, closing it behind Sonic after he timidly stepped in. The room was slightly bigger than an average size bedroom with pale yellow walls and dozens of intricate paintings of various places on the island. A lamp in the back corner provided the light that the darkening sky didn't. In the middle of the room, there sat a long table with a light haired squirrel positioned at the end of the table. She was bowed over paperwork, vigorously scribbling words onto the sheet in front of her.

"Shadow," she said without looking up. "It's good to see you again. You're always such a big help when you visit. I got your message and I am so glad you were able to make it regardless of the circumstances. I hope whatever is wrong is fixed without incident as I am a very busy woman with many, many visitors here these next couple of d—…. days..." The end of her sentence was uttered with hesitation as her glancing eyes locked on Sonic.

Sonic tried to form some kind of sound, but his throat and mouth shriveled up with dryness. He was left gaping like a fish.

Sally stood abruptly, setting her glasses down on the table and taking quick strides to the other side of the room. Sonic didn't have time to retrieve his voice before slender arms were wrapping their way around his shoulders in a fierce hug.

"Oh, Sonic, it's so good to see you."

With the warm feeling of her wrapped around his body in love rather than hate, Sonic hugged back just as powerfully. All of his nerves melted away and it felt like he was around a friend again.

"I've missed you, Sally," he muttered into her shoulder.

Sally chuckled breathlessly and pulled away with her hands still placed on his arms. She looked him up and down. "You look great! You're so tall and— and broad. So muscular!"

Sonic flushed under her roaming eyes, but took the opportunity to do the same. She looked exhausted. Heavy bags set under her eyes and dulled the beauty of her pale blue irises. Auburn hair fell across her shoulders, nearly reaching her bottom. It was incredible how someone could look like a train wreck and a goddess at the same time.

"You look... worn out," Sonic muttered in the nicest way possible.

Sally laughed and ran a hand through her bangs. "Oh, don't I know it. It's a lot of work to plan a wedding. It's hard to catch up with sleep when my brain is constantly running with ideas."

"Don't you have a wedding planner?"

"Oh, no. I want this to be absolutely perfect. Anyone I'd hire would be thoroughly sick of me within the first hour."

Sonic grinned. "You always were particular."

"And I always will be," she said laughingly. "I assume you're helping Shadow here with his mission?"

Sonic looked at Shadow who stood with his arms crossed and a firm smirk on his face. "Yeah, I am. I actually had no idea that you two knew each other."

"Shadow and I go back for quite a while. He's just about the best detective ever. I love having him here not only because he gets the job done, but because he's great company after you get past his rough exterior," She said, sending a wink his way.

Shadow chuckled. "She pays well."

A soft rap on the door made everyone go silent. Sally raised a brow. "I wasn't expecting anyone else." She reached behind Sonic and pulled the door ajar. "Oh, Ken! I'm so glad you could make it."

Ken Kahn gently pushed the door open so he could enter with a full smile on his face. He wrapped his arms lovingly around Sally. "I couldn't wait to see you again."

Sonic almost vomited in his mouth. Having been pushed aside by the door, he stood next to Shadow who placed a hand on his hip. The hug was running a bit long for his taste, so he coughed into his fist in an attempt to make their presence known. The monkey's eyes immediately snapped in his direction.

The grin he gave Sonic when he pulled away from Sally made him want to punch him in the face. It looked too smug. It was too knowing and he felt as though he was missing some important detail.

"Sonic the Hedgehog. I wasn't expecting such a wonderful surprise."

Sonic willed himself to smile brightly. "Ken. It's been..." not long enough, "too long!"

"It sure has. What have you been up to?"

"Uh." He felt caught in the headlights. If he really told him what he'd been up to (a whole lot of nothing if he wasn't fighting Eggman), he'd be embarrassed to no end. "Oh, you know. This and that."

"Like always, huh? I'm glad you could make it," Ken said. He threw an arm around Sally's shoulders. "Shadow, you too."

Sonic looked to Shadow with a bit of shock on his face.

Shadow nodded politely. "Thank you."

"Anyway, the ceremony is in only a few hours and Ken and I still have to get ready. I hope you guys are okay with hanging around with everyone else? There's tons of food in the dining hall and great people for conversation. Help yourselves," Sally said.

And with that, both of them were gone. Sonic stared at the ground where they had been standing.

"You know monkey butt?" He asked.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. But believe me, I enjoy his company just as much as you."

"That's a relief. For a second there I thought you actually liked the guy."

"He makes that nearly impossible to do."

As they left the conference room, the last of Sonic's nerves were shriveling away. His unexpectedly delightful encounter with Sally was boosting his confidence significantly and he walked with a bounce in his step.

"So, if you're here often, I guess you know where you're going, right? 'Cause I've got no clue."

Shadow shrugged. "Relatively."

As it turned out, there were signs all over the palace that directed them towards food and conversation. Two large maple doors were propped open to an extravagant banquet hall. Tables upon tables of food and drink sat around the perimeter of the room just begging for Sonic to take a look or perhaps a taste or two.

"Jeez, Shadow, look at this place. It's straight from a magazine."

"There have been many publications with this hall printed within."

Sonic laughed and held a hand at the small of Shadow's back as they weaved through the crowds. "It was an expression, dude."

"Oh. I've never heard that one."

While Sonic's eye was on a cat with a loud, cackling laugh, someone harshly bumped into him. Sonic staggered.

"Oh, I apologize! I didn't mean to," the stranger said, helping Sonic catch his footing. "I was just a bit eager to reach the buffet table."

Sonic let go of the stranger, staring up at him. It was a chocolate lab with a syrupy smile. He was easily more than six feet tall with broad shoulders and muscle definition visible through his grey suit. His fur was charmingly shaggy and wisps of grey mixed with deep brow wove around his face. Sonic was taken aback by how friendly he was.

"Oh, it's not a problem," he found himself saying with a smile. "We were just trying to find food ourselves." Sonic gestured to his partner who was looming behind him with a not so friendly expression.

"Terrific. Allow me to show you the way?"

"Sure!"

As they walked, he introduced himself. "I'm Slaed by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Slaed. I'm Sonic."

Slaed laughed long and deep, picking up a plate when they reached the tables. "I would have to live under a rock to not know who you are."

Sonic chuckled. "I suppose so."

He loaded up his plate with meats and bread rolls and cheese squares. Anything he could see, really. He paused when a hand gripped his shoulder.

"Shouldn't you stick to a better diet?" Shadow asked.

"Aw, come on, Shads, let a guy live. I promise I'll be better once this mission business is over," he said and continued to stack food. Shadow sighed in reluctant acceptance.

Slaed's left ear lifted, curiosity piqued by the hedgehog's statement. "Mission you say? You're not a couple secret agents are you?" He asked laughingly.

Sonic winked at him. "Ma—"

"That's none of your concern," Shadow injected, glowering at him.

Slaed rose a brow, but chose not to antagonize and continued down the long table towards the desserts.

Sonic leaned into Shadow. "What's your deal?" He whispered.

"I have a bad feeling about him."

"Loosen up would ya? It's fine, he's a nice guy," Sonic said.

Shadow huffed, eyes rolling back into his head.

They found a table to sit at. Slaed towered over the little round surface and bent the small plastic chair when he sat down. Neither of those things bothered him, though, and he immediately dug in to the small feast before him. Sonic watched him with a grin.

"So, what's got you at a boring old wedding?" He asked.

Slaed chuckled. "Ken's one of my old buddies," he said.

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. I was assigned as his bodyguard years and years ago. I've been retired for a while and living it up in the city. He sent me a very nice invitation and I thought 'what the hell, I'll go'!"

Sonic nodded. He really liked this guy. The down to Earth charisma he shared was incredibly alluring. It was quite difficult for him to shake off the itchy feeling that he'd seen him somewhere before. He glanced at Shadow to his side. The other was sulking with his arms crossed, being antisocial. Sonic silently laid a hand on his knee and squeezed reassuringly.

Shadow appreciated the gesture, but it wasn't enough to pull him from his mood. Everything about this guy that charmed Sonic sent warning signals through his head. The fact that he had no clue why made him even more annoyed.

"So, old Eggman is dead, huh?" Slaed asked.

Sonic winced at the memory. "He sure is."

"He was truly a genius. Such a shame that he subjected it to evil."

Sonic kept eating. He didn't much like the conversation, so he let it die.

"So, what's got you guys over here?"

"We're friends of Sally's."

"Oh, that's right! You guys were in charge of the resistance years ago right?"

"Something like that."

Slaed smiled, finishing the last few items on his plate. "That's spectacular. Happy to see her wed?"

Sonic's grin dampened. "I... um..."

"I don't think we would be here if we weren't happy for her," Shadow said for him.

Sonic nodded. "It's weird to see her be a Queen, you know? She was always so rough and tumble and was always going on adventures. I don't know why everything's changed..."

Slaed laughed. "She's grown up, pal! Can't be running around like that forever. Gotta settle down at some point."

"I guess," Sonic said.

"Anyways, it was great to meet and talk to you guys, but I've got some business to attend to," Slaed said, standing with his plate. He reached a hand out. "Until next time."

Sonic shook his hand happily. He didn't bother trying to shake Shadow's hand.

Sonic sighed. "What a nice guy."

A low, unamused grunt was all Shadow had to say on the matter.


	11. Chapter 10

"So what's the plan? Do we wait until after the wedding to search for the Emeralds or should we find them now?"

Shadow sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I honestly don't know. We have no leads besides knowing they're around here." He tapped his forehead with his palm a few times. "I should have brought the tracker."

Sonic watched a few people start to dance around as he thought. "All the tracker does is sense concentrated amounts of Chaos energy right?"

"Basically, yes."

"So... shouldn't you be able to sense them, too? I mean, you're the Ultimate Lifeform. That could be some pretty easy stuff for you."

"I can, but only without my inhibitors on. As a being that runs almost completely on copious amounts of Chaos energy, trying to sense more takes a huge toll on my body. I tried to do it years ago and it nearly fried my body. It's not an easy task. I—" Shadow paused, a thought coming to him. "I have an idea. Follow me."

Sonic rose a brow when Shadow hurriedly left the table, but followed after him.

Shadow walked down a long, empty hallway, trying door by door until he found one that was unlocked. He pulled Sonic in with him and locked the door behind them. It was a guest room. The king size bed sat with elegant gold feet and an acorn engraved headboard. The engravings matched perfectly with the other furniture in the room such as a bookshelf, a dresser and even the mantle.

Sonic's eyes were taken away from the room by Shadow gently pushing his cheek to look at him.

"I think there's a way we can sense the Emeralds together."

Sonic blinked. "What?"

"Together. What if our energy worked the same way as our emotions? You could act as some sort of... conductor? I think that's the word. It would take a lot of the strain off my body." Shadow linked their left hands together and motioned down Sonic's arm with his right. "My energy could flow right through you and we'd both be able to sense them. Your body has demonstrated before that it can handle it by obtaining a super form. It may or may not be risky, but—"

"Wait, wait, why don't you just do your Chaos control and go get the tracker? That would be a lot safer. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't be hurt. I left the Chaos tracker behind when you fainted in Eggman's lair. Who knows where it is now after G.U.N. has been through there. When I talked to the Commander this morning, he was the one that told me they were all here."

Sonic sighed. "I don't know, Shads."

"There has to be a reason why we have this connection. It's not a coincidence. This is our only shot right now."

Their eyes held each other.

"Fine." Sonic gave in.

Shadow nodded. He unclipped his inhibitor rings slowly and immediately tied his hands with Sonic's once they hit the ground. Energy quickly seeped into him. He gasped, his hands gripping Sonic even tighter. It felt as though fire was flowing all the way from his toes to the top quill on his head. But gradually, it began to ease away and that's when Sonic's own eyes widened. He could feel the energy transfer between their palms and smiled.

"It's working, Shads! Do you know where the Emeralds are?"

Shadow closed his eyes tight and honed into the area around them. Compared to the last time he'd tried it, this was immensely easier. Only within a couple minutes he was able to determine where all of the Emeralds were. He felt their presence like a white hot flame in the pit of his stomach.

Sonic was starting to feel them, too. They were deep beneath the castle. He couldn't figure out what room or how to get there, but they were there and that's all they needed. The energy buzzing through his body felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It was different from his super form. He looked at the bright yellow light that was enveloping them and a thrilled laugh fell from his lips.

The sound shook Shadow from his trance. He noticed the admiring smile on Sonic's face and couldn't help the one that came to his own lips. Unlike any other time he'd used his full power, he felt light as air opposed to the heaviness it usually gave him.

"This is amazing, Shadow."

Some of Sonic's energy was pushing back into Shadow and it was as though it was circling between the two of them.

"I know where they are," Shadow said.

Sonic laughed again. "So do I!"

They stayed like that for a moment and reveled in the odd feeling of being connected in such a way. Shadow moved his grip to Sonic's shoulders and his heart jumped when Sonic gripped his waist.

"I'm gonna pick up the inhibitors, alright? Just try to keep a hand on my shoulder."

Shadow nodded quickly.

Sonic bent over faster than he had expected, so his hands lost his shoulders. The flow was cut off and the energy flooded into him aggressively. He grunted in pain. He flailed and tried to regain connection, but Sonic had already done so for him by grabbing his hand again.

"It's okay, Shads, I've gotcha." He latched the rings back onto his wrists and their glow gradually left.

"Thank you," Shadow said, adjusting the rings. "That was very... strange."

Sonic chuckled and patted his shoulder affectionately. "Yeah..." He took a moment to step back and clear his throat. "Do you really know nothing about why this is a thing?"

"I don't, but I haven't looked into it either. I wasn't even completely sure it was real until we met again."

Sonic rubbed under his nose, a bit embarrassed by what he was about to say. "It's kind of insane. It almost feels like... we were literally made for each other."

A light smile graced Shadow's lips, but when their eyes met, they both diverted them quickly.

Shadow beckoned for Sonic to follow him out the room. "Anyway, now that we know for sure that the Emeralds are in the castle, we should find Sally and ask her how to get to the dungeons."

"The wedding is going to start soon. I doubt we'll be able to find her."

Shadow slowed his pace and sighed. "You're right."

"Look, though, there's monkey breath," Sonic said, pointing down the hall. Ken Khan had just emerged from one of the rooms up ahead and was walking towards them. He was dressed in a handsome tuxedo.

"What are you two wandering around for? The wedding is going to start soon," Ken said, jamming a thumb behind him.

Sonic tried to come up with something on the fly. "Uh, duh, we know. I just— I had to use the restroom and Shadow was helping me find one. I'm sure you wouldn't understand because… you don't… use restrooms?"

Ken and Shadow stared at him like he'd spoken another language. Sonic smiled awkwardly.

Shadow pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Follow me. I'll show you where your seats are," Ken said, rolling his eyes.

They walked back through the banquet hall where people were starting to file outside where everything was set up.

"Khan, have you noticed any strange happenings around here?"

Ken smirked, giving Shadow a raised brow and a side glance. "You guys, it's okay if you wanted to come to the wedding. We even invited you, Shadow," he gave Sonic a pointedly smug glance, "There's no need to disguise it with a mission. There's nothing strange going on."

Sonic looked at him incredulously. "Dude. Are you serious? There are people all over the world who're having the very essence that keeps them alive sucked right out of them, every one of the Emeralds are underneath this castle, Knuckles is missing and you have the audacity to say nothing is wrong?"

"A few people collapse here and there, so what? Things like that happen every day. The Emeralds have a mind of their own. I'm sure they have reason for being here. I can't say much for your friend. Maybe he decided to get smart and drop your friendship." The delivery of Ken's words were entirely too condescending.

Sonic growled, teeth bared aggressively. He grabbed Ken's shoulder and spun him around to point in his face. "You're just as much of an ignorant ass as you were when we were kids."

Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sonic calm down—"

Sonic jerked out of his grip. "No! I _won't_ calm down," he took a threatening step towards Ken, "I'm getting sick of your way of going about this mission, Shadow. Forget stealth, forget laying low, forget dressing up." He pulled his coat off, yanked his tie to the side and roughly unbuttoned the top few notches on his shirt. "I want answers and I'm going to knock it out of this monkey because there's no way he doesn't have anything to do with it."

At this point, they had developed a small audience. The guards stood to the side, waiting for orders to take action.

Ken laughed and held a hand up towards them. "You really think I'm going to fight you on my wedding day?"

"There's no way you're marrying my Sally, you prick." His fist connected with Ken's jaw.

Shadow jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Sonic to restrain him. "What the hell is your deal? You were just _waiting_ for an opportunity to punch him, weren't you?" He hissed.

"I'm just sick of—" He was cut short by low laughing.

Ken Khan kneeled on the floor with his hand over his face and cackled maniacally. "You're kind of ruining my plan here."

Sonic was going to question him, but noticed that the whole hall was completely deserted. Not a single person in sight.

When Khan stood, he removed his hand to reveal that his face was contorting in a horribly glitchy way. His grin was much too wide and his eyes too crazed. "You're gonna get what's comin' to ya, hedgehog," he said, voice no longer belonging to the monkey that was supposed to have it.

Shadow took a step in front of Sonic who was slightly paralyzed with confusion. "What are you?"

The monkey's whole body began to glitch away. It started at the arms and legs, trailing up to the torso and revealing white gloves, black boots and bright green fur. It finished with his face that was equipped with a smug grin.

"Scourge?" Shadow said gruffly.

Sonic threw his hands to his head, gripping his ears. "For the love of Chaos, _what is going on!"_

Scourge shrugged and began stalking his way around them in a circle. "I hope ya liked my acting. I've been workin' on that for a while."

Shadow stood defensively over Sonic, arms slightly spread to his sides as he turned along with him.

"Ya know," Scourge said, "You guys are a lot stupider than people give ya credit for. I think you've been out of it for too long, blue," his eyes held Sonic's before switching to Shadow, "As for Mr. Ultimate here, I really thought you'd put the pieces together a lot sooner."

Shadow swallowed a lump in his throat. "I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt."

A loud, booming laugh sounded over them, causing them to look around frantically. "The benefit of the doubt?" A figure slowly descended from the ceiling, hands on his hips. "Since when did you even care to give me a chance?"

"I've always cared, Fin."

Sonic stared at the masked figure before them, brow furrowed. "Infinite?" His ear twitched as he looked to Shadow questioningly. "Wait. Fin?"

Shadow closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "It's a long story—"

Infinite growled and dropped to his feet. "Oh, it's not all that long, _Shadow,_ but I'm not so great at telling stories, as you know."

"What do you want," Sonic said.

"What do ya think we want, ya dumbasses? You—"

"That's quite enough, Scourge," Infinite said, holding a hand up to him.

To their surprise, Scourge did shut up. He didn't look happy about it at all, but he was a bug under Infinite's boot.

"I want control. Simple. Since you destroyed my opportunity all those years ago, I thought I'd research the Phantom Ruby and gain intimate knowledge of its abilities," he gestured to the gem in his chest, "I'm sure you've seen a few of my new tricks."

"But the one you're infused with is just a prototype, right? The real one was destroyed—"

"Yes, Sonic, we all remember, but the doctor designed this one as a near replica. After the original was destroyed, this one took its place ," Infinite said, waving his hand dismissively. "I have to say, I'm disappointed you didn't make it all the way to the ceremony. I had the perfect ambush planned out. But it's alright. You're no match for me anyhow."

Suddenly, Sonic and Shadow were lifted into the air by magenta dust that made it impossible to move their arms and legs. Shadow grunted as he tried to break free, but it was no use.

Below them, Scourge chuckled. "This guy is really something," he said, jamming his thumb back to Infinite. "Came to me with the offer of a lifetime! An opportunity to destroy a little blue pest? No brainer."

Sonic heaved a breath out, the dust heavy on his chest. "Why now, Scourge? You could've bested me any time you wanted in the past fifteen or so years."

"I've been busy," Scourge snarled.

Shadow turned his attention from Scourge to Infinite who was looking him up and down. "Where's Sally?"

A low rumble came from the back of Infinite's throat as he placed a hand out to his left side. Where his palm faced, a virtual Sally materialized. There was no way to tell she wasn't real if they hadn't just seen her appear. Her expression was worried, glancing between the two suspended hedgehogs. In the same way she came, she was gone with the snap of Infinite's wrist.

"Quite believable, isn't it? I am able to make a copy of anyone that comes to mind and they will have the same characteristics and abilities. My use of Rouge yesterday was a suggestion of Scourge's. She is quite a strong woman, but your precious princess was the perfect target to capture both of your attentions. I learnt of Sonic's past interest in her from Scourge, and I myself knew... that Shadow was well acquainted." He circled around them as he talked, eyes bright and smile snarky underneath his mask. "You two proved difficult to reunite, but after monitoring Sonic's habits and having that gorilla steal those Emeralds at a precise time and place, it became as simple as stealing a gallon of milk to topple the dominoes."

Sonic grimaced. "Dude, you cant just steal another man's milk."

Shadow rolled his eyes at Sonic. "Why did you need us together? Why did you need any of this?"

Infinite smirk and placed a hand on his hip. "Sonic is nearly essential in order to capture you. No matter how involved you are in a mission, a good chunk of your attention is unable to stray from him."

"All the other shit was my idea. I had fun fuckin' with you guys," Scourge said, sending a wink Sonic's way.

Infinite's eyes bore into Shadow's as he spoke. "Once I take control of the world, I want you to watch me dispose of him and live the rest of your days as my pet."

"That sounds really gross, man, what's your problem?" Sonic said.

Infinite waved his hand and brought Sonic down to his eye level. "My problem is you."

"I haven't done a thing to you besides stop you and Eggman from destroying the Earth. Which, if I take a wild guess, you're going to try to do again," a thought occurred to him, "Did you kill Eggman?" Dread seeped down his throat just from the name on his tongue.

"The old man was dead when I found him. He seemed to have been working on a few old projects when natural causes took his body. I had been wishing for another team up, but his supplies were sufficient enough. I staged his corpse with the Emerald just for you," he said, cupping Sonic's muzzle in his hand and brushing his thumb along his lip. When Sonic's lip curled in disgust, Infinite trailed his hand down his peach chest. "What's wrong? I thought you enjoyed the touch of another man."

"Don't you fucking touch him, Infinite," Shadow spat.

Infinite's sinister chuckle echoed eerily throughout the room. "Or what?" He continued to card his fingers through the thick fur on Sonic's stomach, pushing into his shirt as he went. "You're gonna zap me? Sorry to say you have no authority here, Agent Shadow."

Sonic wanted to quip something snarky, but found his tongue drying out in his mouth. The feeling of foreign hands on him was enough to make him want to vomit.

Shadow was ready to toss another threat, but as he opened his mouth, Infinite was thrown to the ground and they were released from their hold. As soon as he caught his footing, Shadow pulled out the Emerald, prepared for an assault.

"Ugh! Seriously, man? Stop following me," Scourge growled at the offender.

When Sonic felt the ground rush up to meet him, he landed on his knees and took a second to calm down. He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but sighed in relief when he saw Shadow

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just a little spooked I guess."

They both looked up to see Scourge fighting a big chocolate lab. As the dog used one hand to swipe punches, his other was gripped around Infinite's neck. The jackal scratched and pulled at his arm, trying to breathe.

Sonic jumped up with a triumphant laugh. "It's Slaed!" He lightly punched Shadow's shoulder. "I told ya he was good."

They caught Scourge's attention. "Who the hell is Slaed?" He said before getting slammed to the ground.

Someone flying around the room caught Shadow's eye. His heart kept into his throat. "Rouge!"

Rouge paid him no attention as she swooped down and knocked Infinite away from Slaed. The jackal choked on the air that came rushing to his lungs, quickly turning his hand in circular motions. Almost immediately, Knuckles and Julie-Su joined the fight.

Sonic had a hard time figuring out what to pay attention to, especially once Shadow launched himself into the action.

When Infinite finally caught his breath, he levitated into the air and laughed maniacally. It was obvious that he was still struggling by the wave in his voice, but the expression on his face showed no weakness whatsoever. Sonic spotted something hanging onto his arm.

Shadow tried several times to catch Rouge's attention, and when he did, she began throwing punches at him. He dodged each blow, not keen on throwing any back. It was only when she tried to go for a headlock that Shadow noticed her crimson eyes. His movements stuttered and she was finally able to land a punch to his gut.

Slaed fought Knuckles and Scourge, throwing his weight around like he did it every day.

"Let her go, Infinite," Sonic said. His face was contorted in an almost painful way. The blood in his veins ran like ice throughout his body and the saliva in his mouth tasted metallic. He dared not make a sudden move towards him or the hand held near his niece's head could end her life.

"Call off your guard dog and I'll think about it."

Sonic hesitated before turning to the fight and yelling, "Guys, cut it out."

Nobody heard him. He took a side glance at Infinite and his heart jumped when his hand pointed at Lara-Su started glowing. She looked at him with big eyes, unable to say anything with the fear crippling her body.

"Cut it out!"

His voice echoed through the room. Slaed and Shadow stopped where they stood. Julie, Knuckles and Rouge froze as though they were paused. Scourge fell over onto his face.

"Good choice, Sonic. You wouldn't want to damage your friends, would you?" Infinite cackled. He was further amused when Sonic's eyes widened. "That's right. These are the real deal. Mind control is another one of my new tricks. Nifty, huh?" As he spoke, Sonic's friends returned to his side, moving around as stiffly as mannequins. "Anyway, Shadow, I'm gonna need that Emerald—"

"Absolutely not."

"Just do it, Shadow," Sonic said. His voice was hoarse.

When their eyes met, Shadow could see the raging emotion within them. He begrudgingly threw the Emerald at Knuckles where it bonked on his head before he caught it.

"Thank you. Now. I'm going to need you three to behave until I've conquered this chaosforsaken planet."

—

"Agent Shadow! Good to see you. I wanted to speak with you about something," a clinician said, rushing up to him as he walked through the door.

"Yes?" He continued walking and she followed after him.

"Ah, well, Infinite has made great strides with his trustability and I've said so to the Commander. He seems to have taken a great liking to you and... we think it could be time we train him to work with you."

Shadow stopped and gave her a disbelieving look.

She faltered under his intense gaze. "W-We know both of your partners have just retired from G.U.N. Pretty much everyone thinks you two would make a fantastic team."

"... I suppose you're right," he said, pondering. "Let me be the one to tell him."

"Absolutely, Sir. You're the only one that can talk to him like that anyhow."

The door latched close behind him as he entered the cozy, house-like cell. Because Infinite was not an ordinary prisoner, or even a prisoner at all at this point, he was given living quarters to accommodate his needs. It took years, but he was finally handling his trauma well and ever since he was provided with an actual bed, it only got better. They no longer had to keep a shock collar on him.

Infinite was sat on a couch with his legs crossed happily watching television.

"Hey, Finny," Shadow said, noticing he hadn't heard the door.

"Oh, hey Shads, you're here a bit early today?"

Shadow sat on the other end of the couch. "Rouge and Omega had their going away party today. They're officially no longer agents."

"Yeah? That sucks. I hope they find you good replacements."

"About that..." he reached over to the coffee table to plush the off button on the remote. Infinite gave him all of his attention. "They were thinking maybe you could fill that spot."

Infinite's eats shot straight up. "Do you think I could?"

"Of course."

"That's pretty cool..." Infinite said. He thought about all of the possibilities his future could hold. For about the first time in his life, he felt like he truly had something to look forward to. "I would like that a lot."

Shadow could hardly keep himself from beaming. "That's great."

Infinite's heart caught in his throat. "I—um. Thank you. I truly appreciate what you've done for me. After my mother, I—... I didn't think I'd ever be able to get that word out of my head. W—we—"

Shadow waited patiently for him to finish.

"Weak."

It felt powerful on his tongue. The triumphant look in his eyes shone out as he smiled warmly at Shadow. Hesitantly, he inched closer and placed a hand on top of Shadow's. "Shadow, I—" he struggled to form words. Instead, he snatched Shadow's cheeks and kissed him.

Shadow flinched, unused to such contact. It wasn't unpleasant though. He laid a soft hand on Infinite's knee and gripped.

Their lips melded together slowly until Infinite began to get a bit too excited. He crawled into Shadows lap, throwing his dreads over his shoulder. He didn't give Shadow a chance to think before he was hungrily devouring his lips.

Shadow admittedly got into it, but for the wrong reasons. Every touch he felt, he imagined white gloves hands. Everything he felt in his heart screamed blue fur and emerald eyes, a stark contrast to the black and white before him. He gently grabbed Infinite's wrists and pushed him back.

"Fin, I can't do this," he whispered.

Infinite looked at him quizzically. "What? Wh— What to you mean— why?"

"I'm in love with someone else. It's not fair to you for me to let you do this."

Infinite shot off of his lap and stood in front of him, face lit with embarrassment. "What are you talking about? You were obviously into it."

Shadow looked to the ground in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Who." It wasn't a question. He felt like he already knew the answer, but it didn't sting any less when he got his answer.

"Sonic."

He threw his hands over his face, anger welling up in his stomach.

Shadow stood and tried to reach out to him, but he flinched away. "Infinite, please, I don't want to hurt you—"

Infinite laughed, the heartbreak ringing in the cracks of it. "It's too late for that." He growled in frustration. "Chaos, seriously? That blue asshole!"

His eyes narrowed. "Do not call him that."

"I'll call him whatever the hell I want."

Tone dark and eyes daring, Shadow said, "Go ahead and try."

It caught Infinite off guard. Something inside him cracked and his face fell to steel. Turning on his heel, he marched to his bedroom door and slammed, shutting Shadow out.

"I didn't peg you as someone who ran away from their problems," Shadow said loudly.

From the other side of the door, Infinite shouted back. "Maybe you should have gotten to know me a little better before shooting me down like that."

—-

The dark walls around them felt closer and closer as the hours ticked by. They sat in silent tribulation over the way they had ended up. Shadow sat in a corner with his head on his knees. Sonic leaned against the railing on the opposite side of the cell with Lara-Su napping in his lap. Slaed laid on his back, staring up at the cracked ceiling while slightly jingling the chain attached to his ankle.

Sonic softly pet back Lara's bangs as he sifted through his mind. The silence was starting to get to him, so he finally decided to voice what had most prominently been on his mind.

"Were you and Infinite friends?"

Shadow slowly looked up at Sonic and even though he wasn't looking at him, he knew it was a hard question to ask. "... of sorts."

"What does that mean?"

He sighed gruffly. "After the whole... Phantom Ruby incident around fifteen years ago, G.U.N. found Infinite near death. He got off much worse than Eggman. Could hardly form a coherent conversation. They took him to Prison Island where he was nursed back to health with hopes of swaying his alignment to our side. I was assigned to him because I'm the only person that can match his strength. He was extremely reluctant at first, especially because of our past encounters, but over the course of four years and many many trials and tribulations, he... he became my friend. I would look forward to seeing him every Tuesday and Thursday and he was always glad to see me. He was given an opportunity to go and train to be my partner, but we got into an incredibly heated argument. He said he wanted to leave so... I signed the waiver and he was released. I promised them he would no longer be a threat— I'm so stupid!" He slammed a fist onto the hard concrete floor.

Sonic flinched, gripping Lara-Su a bit tighter. Shadow noticed and covered his face with a hand.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Shads. None of this is your fault."

"... I wish it wasn't..."


End file.
